Man with axe carrying 'incendiary device' shot by police outside Euro 2024 fan park

A man who launched attack on a police officer with an 'incendiary device' near a Euro 2024 fan park in Hamburg on Sunday has been shot and is 'seriously injured'.

The sound of four loud bangs echoed through the area before hundreds of riot police swooped in. Thousands of Dutch and Polish fans had gathered in the vicinity ahead of today's 2pm Group D kick-off at Volksparkstadion.

Following the incident police shut down the Reeperbahn, a renowned street in the city. According to German newspaper Bild, a man assaulted police officers with a gold-tinted pickaxe at around 12:30pm local time.

Initially, the officers deployed pepper spray in an attempt to disarm him but, when this proved unsuccessful, they fired several shots. The man subsequently collapsed and is reported to be in a critical condition after being driven off in an ambulance.

The area has since been cleared of supporters, reports the Mirror. The Netherlands and Poland are being backed well by supporters given their respective nations' proximity to hosts Germany.

Police Hamburg subsequently released a statement on social media which read: "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."