Queensland police have shot dead a man on a Sunshine Coast street after he allegedly lunged at them with a weapon.

Officers were called to Outlook Drive at Tewantin just after 2:00pm (AEST) on Sunday amid reports of a man damaging property with a steel pole.

When they arrived they were allegedly confronted by a man who got out of a car and lunged at them with either a knife or the pole.

According to witnesses, the officers fired three shots into the man's chest, killing him instantly on the road.

District Officer Acting Superintendent John Bosnjak said police were called to the address to "deal with a disturbance" but would not confirm whether the man was armed.

"Our understanding [is the incident] did happen in the street," he said.

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"The issue is quite complex - there are a significant amount of witnesses to be interviewed."

He said the 51-year-old man who was killed was from interstate and "apparently related" to the people in the house.

Superintendent Bosnjak said Police Ethnical Standards Command was investigating and the scene was still to be processed.

Sorry, this video has expired Police shoot man dead on Qld's Sunshine Coast ( Bruce Atkinson )

"We will be working long into the night," he said.

He said counselling would be offered to the officers involved.

"It's quite a traumatic time for the family and police involved - you don't come to work to be involved in matters like this," he said.

"I do feel for my people and I obviously feel for the family of the deceased male."

Resident heard gunshots

Local resident Brett Larcombe said people heard screaming and a house being damaged.

He said police turned up and confronted a man at the centre of the drama.

"They went to apprehend the bloke and he has hopped out of the car with a knife ... and they shot him three times.

"You don't hear anything like that around here - it's a really quiet neighbourhood.

"It was a bit daunting - wondering what was happening - which is why we came to have a look, we only live around the corner."

Another resident, John Smith, said he heard a single bang but said "it didn't sound like a gunshot".

"Just a sort of a crack, a bang, something that'd hit something," he said.

"A while later I heard a couple short bursts of siren and didn't think much of it, I thought it was just passing by.

"I just walked out here ... and saw all the action down the road."

Since September, there have been four police shootings, three of them fatal.

On September 29, a 42-year-old man was shot dead by police outside an Inala unit block after a four-hour stand-off.

On October 21, a 29-year-old man survived being shot in the head in arms by police at Rochedale on Brisbane's southside.

On November 18, a 33-year-old man was shot dead by officers at Kippa-Ring near Redcliffe, north of Brisbane.