Crisis during Euro 2024 as police shot dead man carrying an ax and “incendiary device” before the match

A man with an ax was shot by police before the Euro 2024 match between the Netherlands and Poland in Hamburg.

In a statement, the police say that the man, who was carrying an “incendiary device” and a pickaxe, threatened officers and was then shot and seriously injured by police. He is currently under medical care.

According to a Mirror report, the incident occurred around 12:30 local time (10:30 GMT) near a city center fan zone filled with thousands of Dutch fans. The Netherlands will face Poland in the first Group D match of the tournament at 14:00 GMT.

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The police cleaned up the Reeperbahn district shortly after the incident. Police in Hamburg say a “major operation” is underway in the city ahead of this afternoon’s match, involving a large number of police officers.

“A major police operation is currently underway in St Pauli,” a police statement read. “According to preliminary findings, the man threatened police officers with a pickaxe and an incendiary device.

“Then the police used firearms. The attacker was injured and is currently under medical care.”

A later statement added: “The event in Heiligengeistfeld is subject to various security checks and is well protected. We currently assume there was a lone perpetrator there.”