The Garda Commissioner Pat Byrne has spoken to the RUC Chief Constable Sir Ronnie Flanagan after a shooting incident on the Border this afternoon.
An RUC spokeswoman said police officers attempted to stop a transit van in Markethill, Co Armagh at around 1 p.m. The driver of the van refused to stop and police pursued him toneighbouring Keady, where he left the van and ran across fields.
It was during this pursuit that a police officer fired shots at the man, who was not injured. According to the RUC, the police officers ‘inadvertently crossed the border’, which is unmarked at that point.
A 31-year-old man was subsequently arrested by gardaí and detained at Castlelayney under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act. He was later charged with dangerous driving and released on bail.
The RUC officers were escorted back over the border by gardaí.
This evening the RUC said the incident had been reported to the Police Ombudsman’s office, while a garda spokesman said the Commissioner had been in contact with Sir Ronnie to discuss the circumstances surrounding the event.