Garda Use 40mm Less-Lethal Round to Disarm and Arrest Man in Dundalk
Gardaí say an Armed Support Unit officer fired a single 40mm less-lethal round after verbal de-escalation failed, which allowed officers to disarm and detain the suspect.
Overview
- Uniformed gardaí engaged a man in a Dundalk carpark who was alleged to be armed with a knife and ordered him to drop the weapon before tactical units moved in.
- Members of the Armed Support Unit discharged one 40mm less-lethal round, and gardaí say that intervention enabled them to disarm the man and arrest him at the scene.
- The 31-year-old suspect appeared in Drogheda District Court charged with possession of a carving knife, two counts of threatening or abusive behaviour, and breaching a barring order.
- Judge Stephanie Coggans granted bail with conditions including a €1,000 bond, a stated address requirement, signing on at Dundalk Garda Station four times a week, and a return to court on 2 September.
- Gardaí notified the Independent Office for Garda Conduct and the case underscores how officers can move from verbal de-escalation to a less-lethal tactical option in public-order, weapons incidents.