German police shot dead a man in the European Championship venue Hamburg who allegedly threatened them with an axe

BERLIN (AP) – German police said Sunday they shot and wounded a man in the northern city of Hamburg who threatened them with an axe and a Molotov cocktail, hours before the city was set to host a European soccer championship match.

After the man refused to put down the axe and Molotov cocktail, police officers opened fire, hitting him in the leg, police spokesman Thilo Marxsen said. The man was taken to hospital with his injuries, Marxsen said. No one else was injured.

The incident occurred in the St. Pauli district of the northern port city, where many fans gathered ahead of the Group D match between the Netherlands and Poland on Sunday. Marxsen said there was initially no indication that the incident was related to the Euro 2024 match.

Fearing possible fan violence and extremist attacks, German authorities have placed the police on high alert for the duration of the tournament, which began on Friday and runs until July 14.

On Friday, police shot dead an Afghan man after he killed a fellow countryman and later injured three people who were watching the televised match between Germany and Scotland in a town in eastern Germany. Police said on Sunday that the motive for the attack was still unclear.

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