Armed gardaí and negotiators required for two-hour stand-off at Wexford housing estate with knife-wielding man
Gardaí from the Armed Support Unit were called to the scene at Ferndale Park in Wexford where a two-hour stand-off ensued.
Armed gardaí and a trained garda negotiator were called to bring a frightening stand-off to an end in a Wexford housing estate.
Residents of neighbouring houses in Ferndale Park were evacuated from their homes as armed gardaí surrounded a property inside which a man had barricaded himself into a room with a knife and was refusing to come out.
Gardaí responded to a call of a problem at the house shortly before 4.30pm on Friday. An upstairs window of the property in question had been smashed out.
When uniformed gardaí responded, further back-up was called when they realised that they were dealing with a man holding a knife to himself.
Eventually, the SUVs of the Garda Armed Response Unit came rushing to the scene and a cordon was established, preventing anyone getting too close to the house.
Those evacuated from their homes and neighbours stood back watching on in amazement as trained garda negotiators entered the property.
This is Wexford Newsletter
Enter your email address below and click 'Sign Up' to receive the This is Wexford newsletter direct to your inbox.
After a stand-off of some two hours, gardaí eventually emerged with a man, aged in his late 20s, in handcuffs. There were a few muted cheers in the estate as he was placed in the back of an ambulance and brought for assessment.
A man was later charged with criminal damage relating to the smashing of the window.
He was later granted bail with strict conditions to appear before the courts at a later date.
"This could have been a very serious incident,” a garda source said. “Luckily everyone was okay and nobody was injured.”
