Ahead of the Euro 2024 match, a man in Germany who threatened police and pedestrians was arrested on June 16 after being shot by local police.
According to media outlets, a man brandished an axe and a Molotov cocktail in the center of Hamburg around 12:30 PM on June 16, threatening pedestrians and police. Police responded with gunfire and arrested him. The man received emergency treatment at the scene before being transported to the hospital as he was shot in the leg. Hamburg police authorities stated, “The man was armed with an axe and tried to ignite a Molotov cocktail, but the police responded with pepper spray before firing their guns.” They added, “It appears the man has a mental disorder.”
A soccer match between the Netherlands and Poland was held on June 16. The incident occurred just a few hundred meters away from the Dutch fan zone on the Reeperbahn before the match. Fortunately, no casualties were reported.
Sandra Levgruen, a spokesperson for the Hamburg police, said, “We assume that this is an isolated case, that is, disconnected from football… I don’t see any threat at all or any impact on the game today.”