A man was shot by police near a Euro 2024 fan park after police officers were threatened with a pickaxe and an incendiary device.
Officers opened fire when the man refused to put down the weapon during the incident on Sunday afternoon, with pictures showing the suspect on the ground after he was hit in the leg.
Dressed all in black and carrying a rucksack, the man was seen shouting at officers in the St Pauli district of the German city.
After turning his back, the man was doused in pepper spray before armed police jumped the barriers in pursuit, with four loud gunshots heard.
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The incident happened on the Reeperbahn at the the sidelines of a fan parade, known as the ‘Fan Walk’, which began at 12.30pm local time.
It was just hours before a group D clash between Poland and The Netherlands, which took place 7km away in the city’s Volksparkstadion, as part of the month-long football tournament.
In a statement on social media, the city’s police said: “At St Pauli 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.”
The force added that the event at Heiligengeistfeld is subject to security checks and that it is working on the assumption that this was the action of a lone perpetrator.
A police spokesman said there was no initial indication that the incident was related to the football match.
Images have been published on German media of the man lying on the ground with officers surrounding him, while the area remains cordoned off.
Tens of thousands of Dutch and Polish fans are in Hamburg ahead for today’s 2pm kick-off, with large crowds descending on the popular St Pauli district on Saturday night.
Germany is hosting the month-long Euro 2024 tournament, which began on Friday evening.
It is not the first violent incident since Euro 2024 began. A knifeman was shot dead after killing one person and seriously injuring two others shortly after the opening match.
The attacker struck in a garden in the city of Magdeburg, where a family was hosting a private party to watch the German team’s game against Scotland.
German authorities have put police on high alert during the tournament, which runs until 14 July, for fear of possible fan violence and terrorist attacks.
