Police shoot Berlin Cathedral ‘hooligan’

Police in Berlin shot a man who was wielding a knife near the city’s cathedral, wounding him in the legs.

A Berlin police statement described the wounded man as a “hooligan”. The 53-year-old man became “verbally aggressive” near the cathedral and was shot in the leg by one of two officers who confronted him, Berlin police said.

Initial reports suggest no indication of any terrorist motive. About 100 people were in the building at the time of the incident, around 2pm yesterday.

Police were alerted by an emergency call from an employee at the cathedral. Witnesses quoted in German media said the man appeared to be in a “confused” state. Some media reports said a police officer was also injured and taken to hospital. Eyewitnesses video showed police crews with sub-machine guns outside the cathedral and police tape around the building. The 19th century church located in the centre of Berlin on the historic Museum Island is one of the city’s top tourist attractions.