The officers, who were in plainclothes were about to arrest the man when he pulled out a gun and shot them, Copenhagen police director Thorkild Fogde said during a press conference.

The man was known to police and was involved with drugs, police said.

Police are present in high numbers in Christiania as they look for the man, Swedish police is also collaborating in the search, Mr Fodge said.

The injured civilian, a foreigner, told police that he has no relatives in Denmark.

"Copenhagen police can't comment further on the episode - neither the nature of the operation nor about the condition of the officers," said a previous statement, adding that the officers' families have been informed of the incident.