Two gardai remain in hospital after Co Monaghan ramming

Two gardai remain in hospital on Thursday night after a “series of violent incidents”, which included the ramming of a Garda car.

In a statement, gardai said that just after 11.30am on Thursday plainclothes gardai on patrol in Co Monaghan stopped and spoke to a man in his 20s.

He became violent, assaulted the gardai and fled into fields.

Shortly after 1pm, a Garda vehicle on patrol in Tullycorbett, Co Monaghan, was rammed and “severely damaged” by a Northern Ireland-registered dark grey Audi A6.

The two people in the car fled and a search involving uniform and plainclothes gardai, armed support units and a Garda Air Support unit began.

A man in his 20s, who gardai believe was both the passenger in the Audi and the man involved in the earlier assault, was arrested.

He remains detained under section 4 Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Garda station in Co Monaghan.

A search for the driver was stood down on Thursday evening, but gardai say they are “following a definite line of inquiry”.

The male and female Garda members, who were in the patrol car were taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital Drogheda for an assessment of injuries, and they remain there on Thursday evening.

The investigation is being co-ordinated from an incident room at Monaghan Garda Station and anyone with information has been asked to contact gardai.

Chief Superintendent Alan McGovern said: “The incidents today demonstrate clearly the unpredictable and dangerous nature of work carried out by members of An Garda Siochana, who turn up for duty keeping our communities safe every day.

“These incidents will be fully and diligently investigated. My thoughts and the thoughts of every member of An Garda Siochana are with our colleagues, who will be provided with all necessary supports at this time.”