Hostage situation at Germany’s Hamburg airport – police

There are at least two people in the car including a child, police say. The suspect’s wife is reported to have alleged a possible child abduction. In a statement, police say they believed “that a custody dispute is the background to this operation”.

They said the suspect shot his weapon twice in the air and threw burning bottles from the vehicle. He drove his car to the airport’s apron, the area where aircraft are usually parked. “We are on site with a large contingent of emergency services. We are currently assuming a static hostage situation,” Hamburg police said on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Psychologists as well as officers specialised in negotiations are on site, police say, adding that they were in contact with the individual in the vehicle.