A pursuit of two suspected gunmen in Dublin ended when they crashed into a garda car as they attempted to exit the M50 motorway.
Gardaí on patrol in the Finglas area in the early hours of Tuesday heard shots being fired in the distance and went to investigate. An unoccupied house in the Heathfield area was targetted just after 3am.
Several Garda vehicles, with the backing of the Armed Response Unit, responded and the suspects were spotted by Blanchardstown-based officers who were in the area.
A pursuit then ensued, with the suspects driving onto the M50 and being followed by gardaí for more than 10km. Both vehicles left the M50 at the exit onto the N4 close to Palmerstown, where the suspects crashed into a Garda car.
The two men, Dubliners aged in their 20s and 30s, were arrested at the scene of the crash, where a gun was recovered.
No serious injuries were reported but one garda required medical treatment and the two suspects were also taken to hospital.
Gardaí in Finglas are investigating the shooting incident and Garda Headquarters has informed the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc) of the incident, and it has begun its own independent inquiry.
The force is legally obliged to notify Gsoc of any incidents resulting in members of the public being injured or in any way harmed at or around the time they have had dealings with gardaí.
The house that was shot at was examined by members of the Garda Technical Bureau on Tuesday. The vehicle the suspects were in and the damaged Garda car were also examined as part of the Garda investigation into the incident.
Both of the arrested suspects are known to gardaí for involvement in low-level crime, some of which has been linked to the drugs trade.
Gardaí in Finglas believe the gunshots were fired as part of a localised dispute and have appealed for anyone with information to come forward and aid their investigation.
