A man was shot by police in an area packed with soccer fans in Hamburg, Germany, before the Euro 2024 match between Poland and the Netherlands, after threatening an officer with a pickaxe, according to the city's police.
The Reeperbahn district, which at the time was populated by thousands of Dutch supporters, was cleared by police shortly before 12:30 CET (6:30 am ET) following the threat.
Riot police entered the area and shot the person responsible in the leg.
“He apparently tried to set fire to this Molotov cocktail and then approached several people, including police officers, and the officers had to use their firearms,” said Hamburg police spokeswoman Sandra Levgruen.
“We assume that this is an isolated case, that is, disconnected from football… I don't see any threat or any impact on today's game.”
Levgruen added that the police “still have no information about the background, or even his motivation, that could have led to this, but the investigations will surely clarify it.”
The man is a 39-year-old German and may have acted in a state of mental agitation when he emerged from a bar brandishing weapons, police said in a news release. According to another Hamburg police spokesman, he was hospitalized with his injuries. No one else was injured and the police investigation continues.
A heavy police presence was visible in Hamburg before the match, but both groups of fans mixed peacefully before the incident.
German authorities have put police on high alert during the tournament, which began on Friday and runs until July 14, fearing possible fan violence and terrorist attacks.
Information from the Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.
