Conroy warns criminals: ‘Gardaí will fight back’

GARDA Commissioner Noel Conroy yesterday warned armed criminals gardaí would fight back if the public was put at risk.

Mr Conroy comments follow last week’s armed robbery in Lusk, north Dublin, in which two raiders were shot dead by elite gardaí.

He said that while he regretted the loss of life, criminals had to realise gardaí would respond, if necessary.

“Criminals can expect if they continue to go about committing crimes with firearms, they can expect that the Gardaí will react to ensure that public safety is our number one priority.”

He added: “But you realise that when people go out with arms to carry out a robbery, they are serious about it.

“They went with firearms with a number of bullets in the weapon and it’s only natural that the gardaí knew when a weapon was pointed at them that their lives were in danger.”

His comments come as a senior garda begins an internal investigation into the shooting last Thursday, in which a member of the Emergency Response Unit shot two raiders dead.

Chief Superintendent Kevin Ludlow, of the Cork City Division, was immediately appointed to investigate “all the circumstances” surrounding the shooting.

One raider, Colm Griffin, was armed with a semi-automatic handgun, while a second raider, Eric Hopkins, turned out to be unarmed.

Griffin was shot first when he pointed his weapon at the ERU member. The same garda fired at Hopkins after he reportedly lunged at him.

Eye-witnesses at the scene confirmed gardaí had ordered the raiders to put down their weapons.

The internal investigation is expected to examine this issue and whether the ERU garda acted within the law when he fired at both raiders, particularly Hopkins.

Meanwhile, there were reports yesterday that the republican terrorist group, the INLA, had vowed retaliation for the death of a drug dealer in Clondalkin, west Dublin.

A man rang the Star newspaper and said the group would revenge the death of Anthony Creed, who reputedly had connections with the INLA.