German police shot dead a man who allegedly threatened them with a hammer in Hamburg, the host city of Euro 2024.

BERLIN (AP) — German police said Sunday they shot and wounded a man who threatened them with a hammer and a Molotov cocktail in the northern city of Hamburg, hours before hosting a match in THE European Championship football tournament.

Police opened fire after the man, a 39-year-old German, refused to put down the hammer and Molotov cocktail, hitting him in the leg, Hamburg police said in a statement. The man was hospitalized due to his injuries, the release said. No one else was injured.

The incident took place in the St. Pauli area of ​​the northern port city, which was packed with fans ahead of Sunday's Group D match. match between Netherlands and Poland. Police said the man may have suffered from mental illness and there was no indication the incident was linked to the Euro 2024 match. A police spokesperson previously described the tool like an axe.

German authorities have placed police on alert during the tournament, which began Friday and runs until July 14, over fears of possible fan violence and extremist attacks.

Friday, police shot dead Afghan man after killing a compatriot and then injuring three people who were watching the televised match between Germany and Scotland in a town in eastern Germany. Police said Sunday that the motive for the attack was still unclear.