German police believe man who climbed arena roof during Euro 2024 game was a would-be photographer

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — German police said Sunday they believe a man who scaled the roof of the stadium as Germany played Denmark at Euro 2024 was a would-be photographer and they don’t have evidence he intended to hurt anyone.

Video shown by public broadcaster WDR appeared to show the man being detained among the catwalks and beams on the underside of the Westfalenstadion roof following the last-16 game, which Germany won 2-0.

Dortmund police said the man was identified as a 21-year-old from the nearby city of Osnabrueck and that he is currently under investigation for alleged trespassing. Police added that they “are currently ruling out a political motivation.”

The man was carrying camera equipment in a rucksack and no dangerous objects, police said, adding he allegedly said in questioning that he wanted to take “good photos.”

“There is currently no evidence that the man intended to endanger visitors to the stadium with his behavior,” police said in an earlier statement overnight.

Police said the man had first been spotted around half time in the game, which was delayed by a thunderstorm.

Around that time, referee Michael Oliver summoned both teams’ captains and appeared to gesture up toward the roof. The presence of the climber was not obvious to many fans at the time. No announcement was made to the crowd.

It wasn’t immediately clear how the man was able to enter the stadium. Fans are generally not allowed to bring large rucksacks.

It’s the latest in a series of security lapses at the Euro 2024 tournament. Fans were able to approach Portugal’s star player Cristiano Ronaldo on the field seeking selfies. At Portugal’s next game, after UEFA pledged to tighten security, a person jumped from the crowd and nearly collided with Ronaldo.

In another case, a German YouTuber published a video showing how he entered the Munich stadium with fake credentials and made it onto the field during the opening ceremony while disguised in a mascot costume he bought online.

Asked about the latest incident with the man climbing on the roof, UEFA referred The Associated Press to the police and said: “We have no further comment.”

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AP Euro 2024: https://apnews.com/hub/euro-2024