Get all your news in one place.
100’s of premium titles.
One app.
Start reading
Irish Mirror
Irish Mirror
National
David Raleigh

Armed gardai taser and arrest woman in Limerick 'hostage situation' after two men injured

Armed Gardai tasered and arrested a woman after two males were injured at a house in Limerick City Wednesday night.

Gardai said the woman was tasered after she allegedly acted in a “threatening and erratic” manner at a house on Clare Street.

Unofficial sources familiar with the case claimed the incident was akin to a “hostage situation”.

READ MORE: Weather maps show when 25C French sizzler to reach Ireland as major Met Eireann U-turn forecast

Gardai were alerted to a house at Clare Street, Limerick at approximately 11.15pm where “on arrival at the location, they spoke with an adult male who had received minor injuries to his arms”, gardai said.

“A female remained in the domestic residence and had access to domestic knives and was acting in a threatening manner.”

“Another adult male was also present in the domestic residence with the female.”

“Unarmed uniform Gardaí were supported by the Garda Armed Support Unit. Following an intervention by the Armed Support Unit, including the deployment of a Taser, the female (aged in her thirties) was arrested for an offence contrary to the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990.”

The woman was being detained by Gardai under the provisions of Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at a Limerick Garda Station, which allows Gardai to detain a suspect for up to 24 hours after a suspect’s detention extension is authorised by senior Gardai and the courts.

“Both males received medical attention, for minor injuries, by paramedics at the scene. Investigations are ongoing.”

A reliable source said emergency services were alerted to a “hostage situation” in Limerick City overnight and that a member or members of a Garda unit subdued a female by deploying “a taser”, a non-lethal weapon used only by specially trained armed Garda units that are deployed to serious incidents.

Garda representative organisations have complained that their members are facing increasing violence on a daily basis and have called on the government to consider arming more Gardai with tasers and firearms.

A motion at the Garda Representative Association conference last April called on the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to introduce tasers for all frontline members to try to reduce attacks on Gardai.

The Minister for Justice, Simon Harris, has introduced legislation to allow Gardai wear body cams, however speaking last February Mr Harris ruled out arming gardai with tasers or firearms in response to increasing violence directed at Gardai.

READ NEXT:

Get all the latest updates when your sign up for the Irish Mirror newsletters

Sign up to read this article
Read news from 100’s of titles, curated specifically for you.
Already a member? Sign in here
Related Stories
Top stories on inkl right now
One subscription that gives you access to news from hundreds of sites
Already a member? Sign in here
Our Picks
Fourteen days free
Download the app
One app. One membership.
100+ trusted global sources.