Gunshots were fired by gardaí during the pursuit of three men after an armed robbery of a Co Kerry post office on Wednesday.
Gardai arrested two suspects following the ramming of a garda car which has left two officers in hospital with serious but non-life-threatening injuries. They are are still searching for a possible third raider.
The robbery took place at a post office in Waterville shortly after 11am when two armed raiders smashed the security glass with an iron bar and threatened the two female staff on duty with a handgun before making off with an amount of cash.
They were seen leaving the scene in a 99 Ford Ka in the direction of Cahersiveen and Killarney. The car was later found abandoned and burned out behind a public house on the outskirts of the village after the gang exchanged cars and drove off in a 03 D registered navy coloured Mazda.
Because of the remoteness of the post office, officers were deployed to intercept the raiders both on the Killorglin and Kenmare ends of Ring of Kerry as well as a on a back road over the mountains via Ballaghisheen.
Armed detectives from Killarney were manning a checkpoint at Beaufort on the Ballaghisheen road when a navy Mazda approached at speed and failed to heed calls to stop. The Mazda rammed the unmarked patrol car a number of times and the raiders pointed a handgun at the two officers.
The two officers in the car, male and female detectives in their 30s, managed to get out of the car and fired three warning shots at the raiders who sped off. The car which was later found abandoned and burnt out a short distance away.
Armed gardai searched the fields near where the Mazda was found burnt out.
They arrested two suspects, both in their 30s and from Killarney, and they were taken to Tralee and Killarney Garda stations for questioning.
Gardai are continuing to search for a possible third raider. Nobody was injured in the actual robbery but both female members of staff are said to be very shaken and shocked. A number of items were recovered but it was unclear if these included cash or weapons.
Chief Supt Con Cadogan said locals had provided great support to gardai in the investigation texting and ringing in with information .
The incident will be examined by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc). The referral is normal practice when shots are discharged by members of the force.
The firing of shots by Garda members is unusual, though in the vast majority of cases it is done as a warning to criminals engaged in serious offences or those trying to flee a crime scene .
Norma Moriarty, a Fianna Fáil councillor in Waterville, said people were “genuinely shocked” at what had happened.
She said gardaí were examining CCTV footage in the area. “The post office has good security but two of men came in, wearing balaclavas and holding what appeared to be a gun,” she said. The other man was outside waiting in the getaway car, she said.
Ms Moriarty said to her knowledge the robbery happened after a delivery of cash to the post office. She said the men also grabbed several parcels and envelopes but discarded them as they drove away from the scene.
“It was so brazen that they did this in the middle of the day,” she said.
She said the family that ran the post office were “deeply traumatised” and “very upset” after the robbery.
“It’s an awful thing to happen. Everyone is in shock,” she said.
“Fair play to the gardaí for their quick response to what happened.”
Éimear Duffy, who lives in Beaufort near where the suspects crashed the car during the garda pursuit, said she first noticed a lot of Garda cars passing on the road just before midday, then emergency service vehicles followed by 4x4 Garda vehicles.
“A stream of cars were going passed and just a lot of activity going on. It’s pretty quiet normally,” she said.
Ms Duffy said a car was crashed close to a local shop and she had received a call that “men were on the run through fields”.
“Everyone’s talking about it, it’s a small village. People are worried, especially with one still not caught. They’re being vigilant,” she said.
Gardaí are appealing for witnesses to contact them at Killarney Garda station 064 6671160.
In a separate incident, a post office in Co Kilkenny was robbed by an armed man on Wednesday.
A man in his mid 20s, armed with what was believed to be a gun, entered the shop on Main Street in Mullinavat about midday.
He left the scene with a sum of money. A man was arrested by gardaí a short distance from the post office.
The man is in custody at Thomastown Garda station and the stolen money has been recovered.
Gardaí have asked any witnesses to contact gardaí at Mullinavat on 051-898122 or the Garda Confidential Telephone Line 1800-666 111.
