Euro 2024: German Police open fire on man with axe

German officials reported that a man who posed a danger to the police with an axe and a Molotov cocktail was shot and wounded moments before a Euro 2024 match in Hamburg on Sunday.

According to the police, the event prompted a significant operation in the St Pauli area of the city, as reported on X, previously known as Twitter.

“The attacker was injured and is currently receiving medical treatment,” they added.

A photo of the axe used by the attacker

According to a police spokesman, there was no indication that the incident was linked to the Euro 2024 clash between Poland and the Netherlands taking place later on Sunday.

The attacker “came out of a pub with a pickaxe and a Molotov cocktail and threatened the police”, the spokesman said, adding that the suspect was shot in the leg.

The incident took place near the Reeperbahn station, more than a kilometre away from the city’s official fan zone.