Two JCBs were involved in a hot pursuit involving four marked Garda cars and the Garda helicopter around country lanes in Co Carlow, in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Gardaí confirmed officers gave chase to a heavy plant machine after they were alerted to the theft of a digger by Seamus Fox Plant Hire, based in Tullow.
Videos posted on social media showed at least four marked Garda vehicles pursuing a JCB travelling at a relatively high speed along country lanes at daybreak.
A driver in one of the videos could be heard remarking that the Garda helicopter was in use during the pursuit.
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Seamus Fox, of Seamus Fox Plant Hire, confirmed a JCB was stolen at about 6.30am from his premises on Wednesday morning. The company supplies a number of heavy plant machines under the brand name Irish Salt and Gritting Services.
Mr Fox said he had notified the driver of a second JCB which was in the vicinity, asking him to block the road to prevent the first machine being taken out of the area.
Mr Fox said this second JCB had become involved in the chase.
Mr Fox said he had recovered one of the vehicles but the second had been taken by gardaí for forensic examination.
He said he believed the scale of the operation was due to fears in relation to the intended use of the stolen digger.
The Garda press office said that following notification of a theft of a heavy plant machine “a managed pursuit was put in place to manage the safety of all involved including the public and members of An Garda Síochána”.
“During the course of the incident a member of An Garda Síochána discharged a less-lethal device striking a vehicle,” the Garda said.
“The discharge of a less-lethal device has been notified to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) in line with agreed protocols.”
Gardaí also said at the culmination of the pursuit “a man was arrested for alleged offences contrary to the Road Traffic Acts.”
The man was detained at a Garda station in Co Carlow under section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.
Anyone with images of video footage of the incident has been asked to make it available to Carlow Garda station by contacting the gardaí at 059 9136620.
The Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) said it had received a notification of the discharge of a less than lethal device which “occurred during the containment of a vehicle incident on the Carlow-Wexford border”.
“No persons involved received any physical injuries as a result of the incident,” the commission said.
