A man with a pickaxe was shot by German police on Sunday, 16 June, just hours before kick-off in the match between Poland and Netherlands.
The incident occurred in Hamburg, with reports suggesting that the man was also carrying an incendiary device while threatening members of the police.
German police shoot man with a pickaxe in Hamburg
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Man with a pickaxe confronts public at Euro 2024
🚨 BREAKING: Police in Germany have shot an axe-wielding man who threatened football fans at the Euros#TelegraphFootball | #EURO2024
— Telegraph Football (@TeleFootball) June 16, 2024
While the suspect remains unnamed, reports do suggest that he left a kebab shop in Hamburg armed with a pickaxe, using the weapon to threaten those closest to him in the street.
It is believed that police originally fired a warning shot, as well as deploying pepper spray in order to halt the potential attacker. However, after the man failed to cooperate, he was then shot in the leg, extremely close to a Euro 2024 fan zone in the city.
At this stage, officials do not believe there was a connection between the football and the attack.
What have the police said?
Speaking on the incident, a police spokesperson said: “At St Pauli [a district in the centre of Hamburg] 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.”
Before confirming that “The event at Heiligengeistfeld is subject to various security checks and is well protected.”
Security at Euro 2024 has been incredibly vigilant, with reports suggesting there was a high risk of a terrorist attack heading into the tournament. Despite that, police officials do believe that this was an isolated incident that poses no wider threat to fans in the country.