A woman is dead and a police officer injured after a confrontation involving an axe ended in a fatal police shooting in Adelaide’s eastern suburbs.

Acting Commissioner Linda Williams has defended the officers involved, saying: “I have viewed the body-worn video footage of the shooting and the interactions leading up to the firearm being discharged, and I am confident the officers acted appropriately.”

Police were called to reports a woman armed with an axe was trying to force her way into a home on Gwynne St at Firle just before 2am on Thursday.

Know the news with the 7NEWS app: Download today

When officers arrived, they found a 63-year-old woman in the front yard allegedly still holding the weapon.

Police allegedly repeatedly directed the woman to drop the axe and attempted to de-escalate the situation before deploying a taser, which was ineffective.

The woman then allegedly advanced towards officers and struck one of them in the leg with the axe.

Police fired a shot, striking the woman who then collapsed.

Officers provided first aid until paramedics arrived but she died at the scene.

The injured officer suffered bruising to his leg and was treated by paramedics.

Williams described the incident as tragic.

Be the first to know:

“South Australia Police acknowledges this is a tragic incident for all involved and a reminder of the dangers officers can face when responding to calls for assistance from the community,” she said.

The shooting has triggered a coronial investigation and a Commissioner’s Inquiry into whether SAPOL policies and procedures were followed.

Major Crime detectives, forensic officers and investigators from the Internal Investigation Section spent Thursday examining the scene and reconstructing the events leading up to the shooting.

Investigations are continuing.