German Police Shoot Man Threatening With A Man Threatening With An Axe And Molatov

A man threatening German police officers with a pick hammer and a Molotov cocktail was shot and wounded on Sunday, officials said.

The incident in the northern city of Hamburg took place hours before it hosted a match in the Euro 2024 soccer tournament.

Police officers opened fire after the man refused to put down the hammer and a Molotov cocktail, hitting him in the leg, police spokesman Thilo Marxsen said.

The man was receiving medical treatment, Hamburg police said in a post on X, formerly Twitter, without providing further details. No one else was hurt.

The incident occurred in the downtown St. Pauli area of the city, which German media said was thronged with thousands of fans ahead of Sunday's match between the Netherlands and Poland. The police spokesman said there was no initial indication that the incident was related to the soccer game.

On Friday, police shot to death an Afghan man after he fatally attacked a compatriot and later wounded three people watching the televised game between Germany and Scotland in a town in eastern Germany. Police said Sunday that the motive for that attack was still unclear.