Man shot by police after axe attack in fan area

A man was shot by police in a Hamburg, Germany, area packed with football supporters ahead of Poland‘s Euro 2024 game with the Netherlands following an attack on an officer with an axe, according to the city’s police force.

The Reeperbahn district, which was populated by thousands of Dutch supporters at the time, was cleared by police shortly before 12:30 p.m. CET (6:30 a.m. ET) after an officer was attacked.

Riot police entered the area and shot the man responsible for the attack. It is not yet clear whether the attacker was a football supporter.

In a statement, Hamburg 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.”

Police officers shot the man in the leg, Hamburg police told German news agency dpa. A police spokesman said there was no initial indication that the incident was related to the football game.

A heavy police presence has been visible in Hamburg ahead of the game, but both sets of supporters have mixed peacefully ahead of the incident.

German authorities have put police on high alert during the tournament, which began on Friday and runs through July 14, for fear of possible fan violence and terrorist attacks.

Information from the Associated Press contributed to this report.