A MANHUNT IS underway in Co Kerry this morning as gardaí search for a potential third suspect in a post office raid yesterday morning.
Two men were arrested after the armed robbery at the post office in Waterville. They had initially made their getaway in a small blue car which they later abandoned for a second car.
Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland today, Chief Superintendent Con Cadigan said a patrol car which was pursuing the suspects was “repeatedly rammed”.
The two gardaí in the patrol car, who were injured in the incident, were “confronted by an armed raider”.
“Our members obviously had to fire warning shots at that stage,” the chief superintendent said. He said the patrol car had been “completely disabled”.
The Garda Representative Association’s Seamus Moriarty, who represents members in Kerry, told TheJournal.ie that the two injured gardaí have been discharged from hospital but they are “suffering from severe shock”.
“This totally shows the dangers of the job – someone has to go after these people. I’d be very concerned for our members and wishing them well.”
Yesterday was good work by the guards, but it’s a very dangerous job and this is what you’re confronted with on a daily basis. There is no armed support in Kerry, we’re relying on regional support in Cork and Limerick and on armed detectives.
Text alert system
A search commenced this morning in Beaufort, a mostly mountainous area, as Chief Superintendent Cadigan said gardaí are “not ruling out the probability of a third person being involved either directly or indirectly in this raid”. They are also conducting house-to-house enquiries and reviewing CCTV footage in the area.
Gardaí owe thanks to the community for their vital help in tracking down the two suspects yesterday, he told Morning Ireland, as the local text alert system was used to send details of the two getaway cars used.
“Several calls were received in a very short space of time.”
This information from members of the public led to the two arrests.
The chief superintendent appealed for locals to help them again today, asking people to search their premises and their land – but not to confront any suspicious characters.
Anyone with information can contact gardaí at Killarney on 0646671167.
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