June 17 – German police shot and wounded a man who was threatening them with an axe and a Molotov cocktail in Hamburg just hours before Sunday’s game between Netherlands and Poland.
The incident happened in the St. Pauli area of the city, which was thronged with fans. Police said the man may have been suffering from mental illness and that there was no indication that the incident was related to the game.
German authorities have put police on high alert during the tournament for fear of possible fan violence and terrorist attacks.
On the first day of competition, police shot an Afghan man dead after he fatally attacked a compatriot and later injured three people watching the game between Germany and Scotland in a town in eastern Germany.
Police said on Sunday that the motive for that attack is still unclear.
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