Monday, December 23, 2024

Hamburg police shoot man ‘threatening officers with pickaxe’ near Euro 2024 fan park

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A man with a pick axe and an incendiary device near a Euro 2024 fan park in Hamburg has been shot.

The incident is understood to have taken place on the sidelines of a fan parade, known as the ‘Fan Walk’ which begun at 12.30pm local time.

In a statement on social media, police said: “At St Pauli there is currently a major police operation.

“According to initial findings, a person threatened police officers with a pickaxe and an incendiary device. The police then used their firearms.

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

Did you see what happened? Email holly.evans@independent.co.uk

Thousands of Dutch and Polish fans have descended on Hamburg ahead of their 2pm game
Thousands of Dutch and Polish fans have descended on Hamburg ahead of their 2pm game (AFP via Getty Images)

They added that the event at Heiligengeistfeld is subject to various security checks and they are currently assuming that this was the action of a lone perpetrator.

Thousands of Dutch and Polish fans are in the city ahead of today’s 2pm kick-off in Group D.

The incident occurred on the Reeperbahn, which is a popular entertainment district in Hamburg’s city centre that will have been full of football fans. On Saturday night, a thousands of German officers policed the tens of thousands of Dutch fans, who turned the red light district into a sea of orange.

German newspaper Bild reported that the the man attacked a police officer using a gold-tinted hammer, before four shots were fired.

Germany is currently playing host to the month-long tournament, which begun on Friday evening.

It is not the first incident of violence to make headlines, with a knifeman shot dead for killing one person and seriously injuring two others shortly after the opening match.

The attacker struck a garden in the city of Magdeburg where a family were hosting a private party to watch the game against Scotland.

More follows on this breaking news story

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