An investigation is underway into the levels of force used by gardaí during the arrest of a teenager last weekend over alleged road traffic offences on a scrambler motorbike in Finglas, north Dublin.
A bystander filmed the arrest on their mobile phone from a nearby house and the footage was published on social media and has been widely circulated.
The footage available does not depict any of the events that led up to the arrest. It begins with the teenager standing on a grass verge in the Deanstown housing estate as two Garda vehicles pull up and gardaí alight from those cars and arrest the suspect.
He is tackled to the ground by the gardaí present and then handcuffed. The teenager’s motorcycle helmet also appears to be removed by one of the gardaí as the arrest is taking place.
The level of force used by the Garda members present is now under investigation by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc).
The commission investigates complaints made by members of the public about gardaí. It also investigates any incident involving alleged harm caused to a member of the public at or around the time they have had dealings with Garda members.
Gsoc has issued an appeal for witnesses to the incident, which took place at about 7.55pm last Saturday, to come forward. It confirmed the male teenager on the scrambler motorbike was arrested by “plain clothes and uniformed gardaí”.
Gsoc also confirmed the arrest under investigation had been recorded and the footage “widely circulated on social media”.
“A Garda superintendent referred the matter to Gsoc… The incident is now under investigation by Gsoc,” it said.
The matter was referred under provisions in the Garda Síochána Act that provide for the “independent investigation of any matter that appears to indicate that the conduct of a member of the Garda Síochána may have resulted in the death of, or serious harm to, a person”.
Gsoc said it wanted to hear from anyone who witnessed the incident or may have captured the events on CCTV or via recording by dashcam or mobile phone.
In reply to queries Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, said gardaí in Finglas had "interacted with a motorcycle which failed to stop", adding a male teenager was detained at Deanstown Ave.
The suspect was taken to Finglas Garda station for questioning and had subsequently been released. His case had been “referred for consideration for inclusion” in the Garda’s youth diversion programme.
“An Garda Síochána has referred certain aspects of the arrest and detention to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission,” the Garda reply added.
“As Gsoc has commenced an investigation it would be inappropriate for An Garda Síochána to make any further comment at this time.”
