Police attended a hotel in Spring Hill in Brisbane's inner-north at about 5.50pm on Saturday after receiving reports people wanted over a string of property crimes were inside.
Officers went to the sixth floor and identified themselves before entering the room where the men were, Acting Chief Superintendent Simon Tayler told reporters on Sunday.
When the officers entered the room, an 18-year-old man from Annerley tried to escape by climbing over the balcony railing, in a bid to get to a lower floor.
"Unfortunately, (he) fell immediately, sustaining critical injuries ... Police have then gone to render first aid, which involved CPR," Supt Tayler said.
The man was unable to be revived and was declared dead at the scene.
Every death during a police operation is subject to an independent investigation by the Ethical Standards Command and overseen by the Crime and Corruption Commission.
Supt Tayler said body-worn video footage taken by officers at the scene would form part of the probe.
The scene was incredibly confronting for the officers involved and support would be given to those who need it, the senior officer said.
"We have put welfare around those responding officers, we have also put a family liaison officer for the male person who was deceased," Supt Tayler said.
There were three other people in the hotel room who were detained by police but the exact nature of their involvement in the crime spree is not yet known.
Police allege that all four men had some involvement in a string of property crimes across north and south Brisbane, Supt Tayler said.
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