A serious assault on a member of the Gardaí at Blacklion in Co Cavan in the early hours of Monday morning last has been widely condemned. It is believed that the 29-year-old Garda member had pulled over a suspicious vehicle in the village around 2 am when the incident occurred, during which the officer was badly beaten and doused in petrol. There were reports that his assailants brandished a firearm during the incident but this has not been confirmed by the Gardaí. In their official statement on the incident, the Gardaí said that colleagues were contacted by the Garda member, who had been patrolling in the Loughan area of Blacklion (near to Loughan House open prison) seeking assistance.
“The member was disorientated and unable to explain the exact circumstances of events taking place,” the statement read. “An Garda Síochána, through the North Western Region Headquarters Control Room, identified the member’s location through the Garda AVPLS system. Uniform colleagues attended the scene supported by Armed Support Units. “The members found their colleague in a disorientated state. His official marked patrol vehicle was present at the scene. There was a strong smell of an accelerant in the air, his Garda uniform was saturated with an accelerant and he had signs of physical ….
