German police have put out a new statement after shooting an axe-wielding man in Hamburg before Poland's Euro 2024 clash with Holland on Sunday. The man is said to be seriously injured and receiving medical treatment following the disturbance in the city's popular Reeperbahn district.
Police presence was huge in Hamburg even before the incident as thousands of Polish and Dutch fans lined the streets. A crowd of Holland supporters was gathered at the Reeperbahn at the time an individual began threatening police officers with a pickaxe and a Molotov cocktail, which is used for starting fires.
Authorities initially tried to stop the man by using pepper spray, before opening fire as he continued to wield the weapon in a crowded area, with online footage showing the terrifying ordeal.
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Polizei Hamburg now say the man may have been in a 'psychological emergency', and they also believe the incident has no relation to Euro 2024.
The new statement reads: "On Sunday afternoon, a man threatened several passers St. Pauli by and emergency services with a slate hammer and a Molotov cocktail.
"The emergency services then used their service weapons and injured the attacker, who may have been acting in a state of psychological emergency. There are currently no indications of his motivation. However, there is no indication that there is a connection to UEFA EURO 2024. The investigation is ongoing."
Poland's match with Holland, at the Volksparkstadion approximately four miles away, went ahead without incident on Sunday afternoon. The contest kicked off two-and-a-half hours after the Reeperbahn shooting.
On Friday, a separate incident saw police shoot a knifeman dead after he stabbed four people at a Euro 2024 party - injuring three and fatally wounding another.
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Meanwhile, in Gelsenkirchen, tensions have turned to violence ahead of England's hotly-anticipated meeting with Serbia on Sunday night. An England fan and a police officer have both reportedly suffered head wounds after projectiles were thrown at Serbian fans standing outside a bar.
Around 200 officers were drafted in to seal off the bar and prevent another attack, with German riot vans called in and gangs of riot police sent out to find the culprits.
