Young man arrested after failing to stop at Garda checkpoint in Offaly

A young man was arrested after failing to stop at Garda checkpoint in Offaly

The young man failed to stop at a Garda checkpoint in Shannon Harbour and was followed by gardai for a number of miles across country until he finally pulled over.

A spokesperson in Birr Garda Station told the Midland Tribune that Gardaí from Ferbane and Cloghan were operating a checkpoint in Shannon Harbour at 11pm on Tuesday January 24 and signalled for the car to stop.

When it failed to do so, they followed it for a number of miles through the countryside, and through Banagher until the vehicle pulled over on the far side of Banagher Bridge in County Galway.

The spokesperson said the pursuing Guards practised a method of safely following the car and they were assisted by their radio communications team, which gave them information as they drove.

They witnessed the car they were following carry out several acts of dangerous driving, including clipping another car, parked on Main Street, Banagher, which had two people in it. No one was injured.

The spokesperson said gardai are trained to not engage in dangerous high speed chases but to follow in a safe way.

“They don't carry out any dangerous road manoeuvres and they will drop back if the vehicle they are following becomes very dangerous.

“They are able to use other techniques to monitor the car and eventually catch up with it.”

He said Birr District's Gardaí very rarely use Stingers for stopping vehicles. Stingers are more frequently used in other Districts.

“When you are deploying Stingers you have to be careful about the following, innocent cars,” the Garda spokesperson said.