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Man threatens police with axe ahead of Hamburg Euros match

German police shot a man armed with a small axe and a firebomb near Hamburg's Reeperbahn, the heavily touristed street in the heart of the northern port city's nightlife district. The man was hit in the leg by an officer on Sunday afternoon and is now receiving medical treatment, a police spokesman said.

Published June 16,2024
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Police shot and injured a man who threatened them with an axe and a Molotov cocktail ahead of a Euro 2024 match in Hamburg on Sunday, German authorities said.

The incident triggered a "major operation" in the city's St Pauli district, police said on X, formerly Twitter.

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

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.