BERLIN: A German police officer on Sunday shot dead a man who threatened people with a knife outside a night club and advanced toward a patrol spraying a suspicious gas, police said.

Law enforcement opened an investigation into the 27-year-old officer who fired several shots at the 21-yearold man in the northern city of Oldenburg, a statement said. The man died from his wounds in hospital.

The incident took place in the early hours on Sunday after the assailant `injured and threatened several people`, police said.

After being turned away from a night club, the suspect `sprayed an irritant gas in the direction of two security employees` and several people suffered `light injuries`, police said.

`Some started chasing him but stopped when he threatened them with a knife,` a statement added.

The man got away from a first group of police officers dispatched to the scene, but then ran into another patrol.

He `advanced in a threatening way toward police officers` spraying irritant gas at them, leading the officer `to use his arm`, the statement said.-AFPBERLIN: A German police officer on Sunday shot dead a man who threatened people with a knife outside a night club and advanced toward a patrol spraying a suspicious gas, police said.

Law enforcement opened an investigation into the 27-year-old officer who fired several shots at the 21-yearold man in the northern city of Oldenburg, a statement said. The man died from his wounds in hospital.

The incident took place in the early hours on Sunday after the assailant `injured and threatened several people`, police said.

After being turned away from a night club, the suspect `sprayed an irritant gas in the direction of two security employees` and several people suffered `light injuries`, police said.

`Some started chasing him but stopped when he threatened them with a knife,` a statement added.

The man got away from a first group of police officers dispatched to the scene, but then ran into another patrol.

He `advanced in a threatening way toward police officers` spraying irritant gas at them, leading the officer `to use his arm`, the statement said.-AFP