Disinformation about knife attack on garda spread very quickly – senior officer

Disinformation spread about a garda injured in a knife attack in Dublin city was “concerning”, a senior garda has said.

A probationary garda was stabbed in what has been described as an “unprovoked” attack on Capel Street in Dublin city on Tuesday evening.

Two gardai were on a routine “high-visibility” patrol in the capital’s streets when the incident took place.

A man, aged in his 20s, was arrested and a double-edged tactical knife was recovered at the scene.

Assistant Garda Commissioner for the Dublin Metropolitan Region Paul Cleary warned that “concerning” misinformation about the attack had circulated online.

He said they were on alert for any fallout based on the “very inaccurate” misinformation and disinformation that was shared “very quickly” after the incident.

“Unfortunately, we see it every day and we have some people with their own agenda trying to use incidents like this to inflame situations for their own ends,” he said as he urged people to get their information from credible sources.

Political leaders condemned the attack on the garda as “appalling” and wished the injured officer a quick recovery.

Mr Cleary commended both gardai for their “courage and professionalism” during the “unprovoked” attack.

The probationary garda, who has been based in the north inner city for 10 or 11 months, was injured in his upper right arm and his stab vest was damaged, he said.

Mr Cleary said the gardai used batons and pepper spray to “subdue and detain” the suspect.

He thanked members of the public who helped before other gardai arrived at the scene in “less than a minute”.

“I think all of us when we start in the gards and we take the oath, we know there are risks involved, and we know that there will be confrontation, however no assaults on our members will ever be accepted or will be tolerated,” he told RTE Radio.

“Every garda going out on duty every day is aware of the potential risks, but as I said if you take this particular incident, for example, the official issue stabproof vest did its job.

“They were able to use the equipment made available to them – their ASP baton and pepper spray – to subdue the suspect immediately and to detain him, and that went hand-in-hand with their training.

“I’m happy that they do have the supports available to them going out on their high-visibility beats.”

He said as well as bringing the person responsible to justice, they wanted “to understand the motivation behind the attack”.

He added: “The place was swarmed with gardai in less than a minute and it shows that guards are active and visible and around in the city, that they’re able to assist so quickly.”