German police shoot man wielding pickaxe near Euro 2024 fanzone
By Benjamin Brown, CNN
(CNN) — German police on Sunday shot a man who threatened officers with a pickaxe and an incendiary device in Hamburg, authorities said, hours before the city was set to host its first game for the Euro 2024 soccer tournament.
The suspect had threatened officers in Hamburg’s famous St. Pauli district and was shot in the leg, according to Hamburg police. The suspect is receiving medical treatment.
While the incident took place 700 meters (0.4 miles) away from a Euro 2024 fan zone, police said it was not related to the upcoming match between Poland and the Netherlands.
Supporters of the Dutch side had participated in a “fan walk” near the scene of the incident earlier in the day, but by the time the man began threatening police officers, the walk was finished and few fans remained in the area, according to a police spokesperson.
Police also said the incident is not considered to be linked to terrorism.
Germany is hosting hundreds of thousands of foreign fans at the the month-tournament, which began on Friday.
Interior Minister Minister Nancy Faeser said on Thursday that authorities were on alert for Islamist-inspired attacks and violence associated with hooliganism, Reuters reported.
She said authorities had the “Islamist scene firmly in their sights” but not specific threats had been identified.
The-CNN-Wire
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