Germany: Police shoot man in western city of Krefeld

Police officers in the western German city of Krefeld shot and wounded a man in a cinema foyer on Thursday night.

The incident occurred after the man had reportedly set three fires in the Cracau district of the city, police said.

Authorities cordoned off the cinema, which is located inside Krefeld's main train station, and said they do not believe there is any further danger to the public.

Motive unclear 

Details as to the identity or motive of the man, who investigators say was acting alone, remain unclear.

Local police said they will issue an update on Friday morning but a spokesperson told the AFP news agency that there are as yet no signs that this was terrorism.

Trail of damage

Officers were first alerted at 7:50 p.m. local time after an incendiary device was thrown into the local employment office, about 700 meters away from the cinema and station.

Close by, a white minibus belonging to a local drug outreach charity had two smashed windows and was slightly blackened with soot.

Also nearby, police had cordoned off a building in which a top-floor flat was reported to have been on fire.

From there, the suspect made his way to the station where he was shot by police in the cinema foyer.

A large number of officers were still securing the area late into the night.

mf,dh/lo (dpa, AFP)