The man killed by police in the Rotterdam district of Charlois on Sunday was shot at seven or eight times, eyewitnesses have told the AD newspaper.

The 20-year-old man, named by the paper as Mike, was shot after getting into a noisy argument with wardens about a fine for not having his three dogs on a lead. After he reportedly threatened a female warden, the police were called.

The man’s partner Patricia Hoefnagel told the AD he came home after the argument to leave the dogs and went out again carrying a walking stick. Shortly afterwards, she heard the sound of gunfire.

No axe

Hoefnagel, a school teacher, told the AD she was devasted. ‘The most ridiculous stories are doing the rounds, like he ran after a warden with an axe. We don’t even have an axe,’ she said.

‘The bullets went a long way, some by the allotments,’ one eyewitness told local broadcaster RTV Rijnmond. ‘Neighbours took photos of them. This just can’t happen, it is way over the top.’

Police have acknowledged the man, known locally as a hothead, was hit by a police bullet. One eyewitness told the AD police fired seven or eight times at his back as Mike ran off after being ordered to stop.

The police have started an investigation into the shooting. According to RTL news, they have not yet said how many times police fired at the man, but did confirm ‘weapons’ were found at the scene. These were ‘a stabbing weapon and a weapon to hit with’, a public prosecution department spokeswoman told the broadcaster.