Garda assaulted following patrol stop, two others taken to hospital

Plain-clothed gardaí at around 11.30am stopped and spoke to a man in his 20s before he became violent. Picture Denis Minihane.

A garda was assaulted following a patrol stop, and two other members were taken to hospital following a ramming in Co Monaghan on Thursday morning. 

Plainclothes gardaí stopped and spoke to a man in his 20s around 11.30am before he became violent. 

He then assaulted a garda member before fleeing into the fields. Despite an ongoing search, he was not located. 

Later, shortly after 1pm, a garda vehicle on patrol on the R184 in Tullycorbert, north of Ballybay, was rammed by an Audi with a Northern Ireland license plate. 

Two of the car's occupants fled the scene, and a search of the area began. 

A man in his 20s, who was believed to be a passenger of the vehicle and involved in the earlier assault, was arrested. 

Gardaí are continuing with the search for the driver of the car, who is described as being in his 20s, of medium height and build and wearing a dark grey tracksuit top and bottoms. 

The male and female garda members in the patrol car have been taken to Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda for assessment of injuries. 

A search of the area is ongoing, and involves frontline uniform gardaí and plain clothes gardaí from Louth/ Cavan/ Monaghan Garda Division, Regional Armed Support Units and Garda Air Support Unit.

Any person with any information or sighting of the above-described individual is asked to contact An Garda Síochána by calling 999/ 112 or Monaghan Garda Station on 047 77200.