4 teens arrested after striking garda patrol car

Gardaí have arrested four youths who hit a garda car in a stolen car and fled the scene in the early hours of this morning.

Shortly after 2.30am, gardaí from Kinsale on patrol in the Begooly area attempted to stop a vehicle with multiple occupants as it left a residential estate.

The vehicle failed to stop and struck the patrol car as it fled the scene. A coordinated response was launched, involving a number of garda units, including the Armed Support Unit (ASU).

Following a managed containment operation, the vehicle came to a stop near Ballinhassig village shortly before 3am, following the use of a stinger device across a road.

3 males aged in their mid teens and one male aged 19, were arrested and are detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act 1984 at garda stations in Cork.

The recovered vehicle, a BMW X5, which was stolen earlier in the night in the course of a burglary at a residence in the Rochestown area, has been seized for technical examination.

No injuries were reported during the incident and investigations are ongoing.