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Police are investigating the death in custody of a man from a remote Queensland Indigenous community.
The Queensland Police Service said the local man died on Wednesday afternoon in the watch house at Kowanyama, on the western Cape York coast along the Gulf of Carpentaria.
Police said the 51-year-old had been taken into custody over allegations of domestic and family violence related offences.
He was taken to the watch house and "subsequently located unresponsive in his cell a short time later", the QPS said in a statement.
The man was reported to be Indigenous but police would not confirm that detail. A police spokesperson referred 9News.com.au to the QPS statement when asked for more details.
Police said the state coroner and Crime and Corruption Commission would independently oversee an investigation by the ethical standards command.
"Family liaison officers have been designated to provide information and support to the man's family," police said.
Kowanyama Aboriginal Shire Mayor Robbie Sands told the ABC the community was shocked and saddened by the death.
"From what I can observe the community is calm, the family group who are affected by the death in custody are calm and we need to maintain that," he said.
"Most importantly, we need to [get] some answers for the family – hopefully that investigation can happen pretty quickly."
He said police told him officers would come from Cairns and urged the community to "stay calm".
"The investigation is going to happen," he said.
"Our council will make sure that the investigation is thorough and that there's transparency for the investigation as it occurs."
Support is available from the National Sexual Assault, Domestic Family Violence Counselling Service at 1800RESPECT (1800 737 732).