Three men have been charged after they rammed a 4x4 vehicle into a Garda car before crashing into another Garda vehicle in Co Laois in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Four gardaí were injured in the incident including one garda who reportedly suffered a broken bone in the foot.
Gardaí arrested the men, aged 36, 38 and 39, as part of an operation targeting burglaries and thefts in rural areas of Co Laois, Co Offaly, Co Tipperary, Co Carlow and Co Kilkenny.
The 4x4 had been stolen in Co Laois on the 23rd or 24th June.
The three men appeared before Tullamore District Court at 10.30am on Wednesday.
The men failed to stop the vehicle at a road checkpoint at Cloncourse, Portlaoise, and subsequently rammed a marked Garda car before crashing into a second Garda vehicle.
The three men then fled from the vehicle into a field close by.
Gardaí and members of the Garda Air Support Unit searched the area and arrested the men a short time later.
Injuries
Four gardaí received “non-lifethreatening injuries” during the incident. One of the gardaí suffered a broken bone in the foot.
They were brought to Midland Regional Hospital, Portlaoise.
The three men were brought to Portlaoise and Tullamore Garda stations, where they are currently being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act, 1984. They are expected to appear in court on Wednesday morning.