Mob filmed baseball bat attack on garda
Two officers hospitalised after violence during raid on drugs gang
AN UNARMED garda was beaten with a metal baseball bat and his colleague bitten by a dog during searches targeting a suspected drug gang.
The officers were both hospitalised after the vicious attacks which happened over the weekend in the Ballyogan estate in south Dublin.
The men linked to the attacks are believed to be Nigerian nationals and one man, a 58-year-old, has been arrested on suspicion of assault.
The Irish Independent has learned that the assault on the unarmed garda was recorded on mobile phones by a mob, and gardaí fear it will be circulated on social media.
The garda was struck at least three times in the head, face and body and the full extent of his injuries is not yet known.
AN UNARMED garda was beaten with a baseball bat and his colleague bitten by a dog during searches targeting a suspected drug gang in south Dublin.
The gardaí were both hospitalised after the vicious attacks, which happened over the weekend in the Ballyogan estate.
The men linked to the attacks are believed to be Nigerian nationals and one man, a 58-year-old, was arrested on suspicion of assault.
He was last night released without charge and a file will be prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions.
The Irish Independent has learned that the assault on the unarmed garda was recorded on mobile phones by a mob, and gardaí fear that it will be circulated on social media.
A female garda was with her male colleague but was not physically assaulted during the incident.
The violent scenes began at around 7.30pm on Saturday when gardaí attached to the local drugs unit tried to search a known criminal in the Ballyogan Avenue estate.
Slammed
However, the suspect fled the scene and ran into a nearby property on Ballyogan Road.
As the garda tried to arrest the suspect, the door of the house was slammed shut.
Moments later, two teenagers emerged with a male in his 50s who was armed with a black metal baseball bat.
The garda was hit at least three times in the head, face and body as a mob arrived at the scene and tried to assault the injured officer and his colleague.
Unarmed help arrived a short time later, but gardaí were forced to retreat due to the size and viciousness of the mob.
The injured garda was brought to Tallaght Hospital where he was treated for a broken finger as well as severe swelling and bruising on the left side of his head.
It is understood that his left eye was swollen shut, and that his left shoulder was also severely swollen.
However, the full extent of his injuries will not be known until the swelling goes down, which may take several days.
The garda also underwent a number of CT scans but his injuries have been described as non-life threatening. Later that night, at around 10.45pm, gardaí secured a warrant to search the property at a special sitting of the district court.
Members of the Armed Support Unit (ASU) were called to help the operation and raid the property and seize evidence linked to the violent attack on the garda.
Shortly after midnight, armed gardaí entered the house but were confronted by a number of men who tried to attack the officers.
They were restrained but one ASU member was bitten on the leg by a dog and required hospital treatment.
The 58-year-old man who is suspected of beating the garda with the baseball bat was in the house and arrested on suspicion of assault.
He was brought to Dún Laoghaire garda station for questioning and was last night released without charge.
This individual, a Nigerian national, is known to gardaí and has links to suspected drug dealers in the locality.
It is understood that the black metal baseball bat used in the assault was recovered during the raid early yesterday morning.
A number of mobile phones belonging to the suspected drug gang members were seized on suspicion that they were used to record the assault on the garda. A source told the Irish Independent the videos may have been sent on to other people and there is a fear they will appear on social media.
‘‘ The garda was hit at least three times in the head, face and body as a large mob arrived