An American soldier stationed in Germany threatened his neighbors with an ax over the constant noise from their World Cup vuvuzelas, police confirmed Friday.

Bild newspaper said the 45-year-old became abusive and shouted that he wanted to kill someone, before returning to his home in the town of Weiden, Bavaria. The incident occurred during Thursday's match between The Netherlands and Cameroon.

The man, who was thought to have been drinking, was taken into custody by German police who then handed him over to U.S. military police.

In a separate incident, a police officer in Dinslaken, North Rhine-Westphalia was severely beaten by a drunken German soccer fan armed with one of the South African horns.

News website thelocal.de described how the 20-year-old man "pounded the officer's head with a vuvuzela" after the national team's victory over Ghana on Wednesday night.

The officer was rendered incapable for duty by "severe injuries" to his head.