Qld cop feared for life: shooting inquest

A police officer says he feared for his life before fatally shooting a man armed with a knife on the Gold Coast.

On the final day of a coronial inquest into the shooting death of Troy Foster, Senior Constable Nicholas Donald has described his fear in the moments before firing at the 32-year-old.

Foster had been threatening his mother and another relative at the Southport home on November 24, 2014, before Const Donald and another officer arrived on the scene.

After demanding Foster drop a knife he was holding, the pair fired a lethal volley of shots when Foster allegedly came at Const Donald with the weapon.

"He had a look of pure hatred," Const Donald told the inquest.

The court heard Foster raised the knife and took two steps towards Const Donald.

"I believed Mr Foster was going to kill me ... I was in fear for my life."

Const Donald and a third officer, Senior Constable Lyle Slingsby, then provided first aid to Foster.

Const Slingsby told the court that, despite some initial movement in Foster's eyes, the injured man showed little sign of life.

Both officers were critical of a post-incident interview process that forced them to wait for hours before they could wash Foster's blood off their hands and faces.

"I could feel it, I could smell it," Const Slingsby said.

Foster's mother, Rhonda Ryan, said the inquest had provided her with a better idea of the circumstances leading to her son's death.

"I know exactly what went on now," she said.

"They (police) don't look after their own as well as they should either."

The inquest has been adjourned until March 16 when final submissions to the coroner will be made.