Garda members in a Co Waterford town were subjected to three attacks over last weekend, resulting in a number of members of the force being unable to work as they recover from their injuries.
The violent incidents occurred in Dungarvan between last Friday and Sunday, resulting in seven gardaí being targeted. During one of the disturbances, gardaí were subjected to a sustained attack by a group of people while responding to a call for assistance from paramedics at a domestic incident.
Six of the gardaí attacked across the three incidents in the town remained off work on Tuesday, such were their injuries. Senior Garda management has condemned the violence, adding full investigations were under way into the three attacks.
Chief Supt Anthony Pettit, who is in charge of policing in the Waterford-Kilkenny Garda division, described the attacks as “deplorable”, adding paramedics were also at the scene during one of the incidents.
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“It is unacceptable that any of them should be assaulted while on duty. These incidents will be fully investigated,” he said of the violence directed at the gardaí and paramedics.
He added the injured gardaí were being offered all of the supports available to members of the force. Furthermore, a full policing presence was being maintained in Dungarvan. Other members of the force had made themselves available to man the local units while six of their colleagues were unable to work due to their assault injuries.
The first of the three incidents, which were all unrelated, occurred at about 10pm last Friday when paramedics attending a domestic incident requested Garda support. Garda Headquarters said when their personnel arrived they “encountered an aggressive and intoxicated female”.
However, as they tried to arrest the woman, the gardaí came under “sustained attack” from a group of people at the scene. Despite this, the arrest was made and the woman was brought to Dungarvan station. However, the three gardaí were deemed unfit to continue working, due to their injuries, with two still off duty.
In another incident, also on Friday, two Garda members were assaulted by a man after he had been arrested following a public order incident and brought back to Dungarvan station. Both gardaí remain off duty to their injuries.
The third incident occurred on Sunday at about 10pm when gardaí responded to an alert about two men involved in a disturbance on Sexton Street. While both suspects were arrested, the gardaí were assaulted by the men and used their batons to overpower the suspects. Both gardaí remain off duty injured.
As six of the gardaí remain out of work due to their injuries, Garda numbers in Dungarvan have been boosted by drafting in members of the force from neighbouring divisions to ensure a full policing presence in the town.
