German police shoot axeman ‘carrying molotov cocktail’ near Hamburg fan zone after suspect threatens cops
CHAOS erupted near a Euro fanzone in Hamburg after a crazed axeman attacked officers and threatened football fans.
Cops shot the assailant and sealed off the Reeperbahn strip, not far from where thousands of Dutch supporters are gathering to watch their match against Poland.
Some 40,000 Dutch fans were peacefully marching along the popular amusement mile around 12.30pm before the attacker began to cause havoc.
Police say the man came out of a bar with the weapon before starting to wield it at officers, Dutch outlet RND reports.
Witnesses claim they heard four loud bangs as several riot police officers moved in.
Police shot the suspect, who is said to have attacked officers on site with a gold-coloured weapon, Bild reports.
Hamburg Police said the axeman also had an “incendiary device” on him.
According to Bild, he had a Molotov cocktail in his bag.
Police fear he intended to set it off in the middle of the crowd of supporters.
Cops first used pepper spray before shooting the man on the leg, the German outlet added.
One officer fired a warning shot to stop the attacker before several shots were fired until the man finally fell to the ground.
A statement from Hamburg Police on X reads: “There is currently a major police operation in St Pauli.
“According to initial findings, a person threatened police officers with a pickaxe and an incendiary device.
“The officers then used their firearms.
“The attacker was injured and is currently receiving medical treatment.”
Police added the attack has “no football connection”, RND reports.
It comes after shots were fired during Saturday’s heated Italy-Albania match, leaving a 23-year-old seriously injured.
The man was hit in his leg and arm in the Berlin district of Moabit, as cops armed with submachine guns launched an urgent manhunt for the attacker.
Six shots were fired on Rathenower Strasse, near Turmstrasse, opposite the Tiergraten district court, Bild reports.
The 23-year-old victim, seriously injured by at least one bullet, managed to drag himself to a nearby street before collapsing.
He was rescued by an emergency doctor from the German army and received first aid by paramedics before being taken to hospital, where he underwent surgery.
He was shot in his leg and arm but his injuries are not life-threatening.
On Friday, a crazed knifeman attacked a group of football fans at a Euros garden party before being shot dead by German cops.
The supporters were enjoying their first game against Scotland when the attacker came into their backyard just minutes after kick-off.
Germany has already deployed a huge security operation across the nation after fears of hooliganism and terrorism plague the tournament.
A robust “ring of steel” has been set up around stadiums to secure high profile Euros games made up of thousands of armed cops to shield against potential attacks.
The prolific death cult, ISIS, has hurled out repeated threats against events like the Euros, Champions League and Paris Olympics in recent months.
It has also been revealed that fans who feel “unsafe” or “threatened” during the tournament have been told to say “Panama” to police or staff to get help.
Competition organisers in Gelsenkirchen – where England face Serbia on Sunday – sent out the message on Friday to fans.
Upon hearing the word Panama staff are meant to “immediately offer the possibility of a place to retreat”.
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