TWO gardai "feared for their lives" as a stolen car rammed into their patrol vehicle during an hour-long pursuit on Sunday night.
The members were hospitalised following the incident and underwent medical assessments before doctors declared them unfit for duty.
Mark Ferris, the Garda Representative Association’s representative for DMR West hit out at those responsible, saying it "shows the level of attack" its members are facing while performing their duties.
The incident began in west Dublin at around 9pm before the car was eventually stopped in Slane, Co Meath nearly an hour later.
Four teenagers were arrested but all later released without charge following their night of joyriding chaos. Officers identified a stolen Toyota Aqua in Cabra but it failed to stop for them.
During that initial pursuit, the car fled from gardai by driving the wrong way down a dual-carriageway. At that stage, the gardai involved were told to stand down by the control centre.
A short time later, the stolen car was seen on the M50 and took chase once more. At the junction 5 exit at Finglas, it hit into an innocent civilian's car before driving onto the N2.
The young hoods made their way to a hotel car park on the outskirts of Ashbourne in Co Meath. The thugs then rammed two patrol vehicles, injuring two uniformed gardai from Blanchardstown garda station. The pursuit continued to Slane where the stolen Toyota car was finally stopped and the four teenage occupants were lifted.
Detective Garda Ferris, of the GRA, told the Irish Mirror that the two members had been released from hospital but have been declared unfit for duty. And he told us: "Both members have stated to me that they feared for their lives when the stolen car rammed them head on."
Ferris insists the incident highlights the dangers that gardai are continuously facing. He told the Irish Mirror: "Sunday's incident must be condemned by all in the strongest possible terms. It’s crystal clear that some people have no regard for law and order.
"This shocking episode again shows the level of attack our members are facing while performing their duties and those that continue to flagrantly violate the safety of our members and indeed the public at large must not be allowed to hide behind a criminal justice system that would appear to be failing.
"Incidents like these have a knock-on effect in retaining serving officers and recruiting new ones as they feel the fear of prosecution for decisions made on a split second basis and the lack of support from the State while doing what is a difficult job."
The four juveniles who were arrested were released without charge. The incident followed two others in the early hours of Saturday and Sunday morning in west Dublin where a different stolen car was driven against the traffic on two occasions to evade gardai.
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