A stand-off between Gardaí and a man holding a young baby, ended peacefully in Co Clare early today.
The alarm was raised at around 10.30 last night when Gardaí in Ennis received a report of a man in distress holding a baby in the Woodquay area of the town.
Gardaí were mobilised to the incident while the National Ambulance Service and Clare County Fire and Rescue Service also dispatched resources to the scene including fire brigade swift-water rescue technicians (SRTs).
The man later left the area and made his way a short distance across town to Friar’s Walk followed by Gardaí. A number of Garda units as well as National Ambulance Service paramedics converged on the area where the man later stopped.
A Garda negotiator and senior officers attended the scene and engaged the man in conversation in an effort to establish how they might be able to assist him. Gardaí closed the road as the incident continued while the Garda armed support unit (ASU) was requested to attend.
At around 2.15am, the incident was brought to a safe conclusion when the man was overpowered by Gardaí and the baby quickly taken from him.
The man was taken to Shannon Garda station for questioning while the infant was taken into care by ambulance paramedics. The baby is not believed to have been seriously hurt.
A Garda spokesperson said: “Gardaí were called to the scene of an incident in Ennis, County Clare at approximately 10pm on Friday 10th April 2020.
A number of Garda units were called to the scene as well as a Garda negotiator and the situation was resolved peacefully in the early hours of Saturday 11th April 2020. A man in his 20s was arrested at the scene and is currently being detained at Shannon Garda Station under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984.”