In Wuppertal, a man threatened pedestrians in the city center with a knife. When the police arrived, he is said to have pulled out a pistol and pointed it at the officers. That’s why they shot him, a police spokesman said.

A man handling a knife and weapon was shot by officers during a police operation in Wuppertal. He was taken to a hospital with injuries on Saturday, a spokesman said in the evening. No other injuries were initially known.

Police had been told that a man armed with a knife was threatening pedestrians downtown. Because he did not respond to speeches by the emergency services, the officers used pepper spray. The man still didn’t put the knife down – and then sat down on a bench, pulled out a pistol and pointed it at the police officers. He was eventually overpowered by officers firing a shot. The background to the crime and other details, such as the man’s age and motives, were initially unknown.