Hamburg Police Shoot Ax-Wielding Suspect Near Euro 2024 Fan Parade

Hamburg police officers fired upon a suspect wielding an ax who posed a danger to fans near a Euro 2024 fan parade in the city on Sunday.

Hamburg Police stated that an unidentified individual threatened officers “with a pickaxe and an incendiary device” in the St. Pauli district.

The incident allegedly occurred on the sidelines of a Euro 2024 soccer fan parade, taking place hours before Poland and the Netherlands were scheduled to play in the Volksparkstadion.

Officers used their firearms, resulting in the attacker sustaining injuries and receiving medical attention, police reported on X.

The department subsequently declared a “major police operation” in progress, adding that the event at Heiligengeistfeld “is subject to various security checks and is well protected.”

“We are currently assuming that there was a lone perpetrator,” police added.

The incident transpired around the same time as the Dutch fan parade. Nearly 40,000 soccer fans were marching through the entertainment district, according to German state broadcaster DW.

The suspect reportedly emerged from a bar and began brandishing an ax in a “threatening manner.” Officers discharged their weapons after the man refused to relinquish the ax, striking him in the leg, German news agency Deutsche Presse-Agentur reported, citing Hamburg Police. German media disseminated images of a person lying on the street surrounded by paramedics and police officers.

“According to current knowledge, there is no football connection,” a police spokesman told the outlet. The motivation for the attack was not immediately revealed.

German authorities have heightened police vigilance throughout the tournament, which commenced on Friday and continues until July 14, due to concerns about potential fan violence and .

On Friday, police fatally shot a 27-year-old Afghan national after he lethally assaulted a 23-year-old compatriot with a “knife-like object” and subsequently injured three individuals watching the televised game between Germany and Scotland in Wolmirstedt, a small town roughly 80 miles west of Berlin.

Police indicated on Sunday that the motive behind that attack remains unclear.

The Interior Ministry in Saxony-Anhalt state, which encompasses Wolmirstedt, stated that police had amplified their presence across the state.

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