A YOUNG BOY was arrested yesterday evening after a garda was struck by an e-bike in a park in west Dublin.

Gardaí said the incident occurred in Hartstown Park in Blanchardstown on Sunday evening, when officers on patrol encountered “a male youth driving erratically on an e-bike”.

When gardaí attempted to stop him, the e-bike struck a member of the gardaí in attendance, knocking him to the ground.

The garda suffered minor injuries, and was hospitalised for treatment. 

The boy was arrested at the scene and taken to a garda station in Dublin, where he was detained overnight.

He has since been released without charge.

A file will now be prepared for the Garda National Youth Diversion Bureau, a garda spokesperson said.

Mark Ferris, the local GRA representative for the area, said that this incident took place while gardaí were carrying out “proactive patrols” specifically targeting the illegal use of scramblers in Blanchardstown. 

“Sadly, incidents like this are becoming all too common. I wish my colleague a full and speedy recovery from the injuries he sustained while doing exactly what the public expects of us, keeping the people of Blanchardstown safe,” Ferris said. 

He added that the men and women of An Garda Síochána are “entitled to carry out their duties” without being targeted. 

Ferris added that, outside of this incident, in his view Government needs to “confront the wider societal shift in Ireland in how Gardaí are treated” and to ensure that it’s made clear that attack on gardaí are “attacks on the State”. 

- With reporting by Eimer McAuley.