Barr Tribunal: A detective sergeant told the Barr tribunal yesterday how after he heard shots while taking cover he saw John Carthy lying on the road with blood on his chest, and appearing to be seriously injured.
Det Sgt Michael Sullivan, who was with the Emergency Response Unit at the time, said it was a serious and major event in his career and traumatic. However, he said that he and everybody he saw at the scene had acted professionally and everything was done that could have been.
The tribunal is inquiring into the circumstances of the fatal shooting of Mr Carthy on April 20th, 2000 at Abbeylara, Co Longford, after a 26-hour siege.
Sgt Sullivan said on the second day of the siege he was arranging to bring a consultant psychiatrist to the scene at about 5.40 p.m. when he heard shouts of "He's out, he's out" on his radio.
He drew his pistol and saw Mr Carthy just coming out on to the driveway. Sgt Sullivan said he shouted to alert colleagues at the command post. He next saw Mr Carthy on the roadway.
"I faced the barrels and it was a very dangerous situation. If I'd had to confront John there, it would have been in the proximity of my colleagues and there could be a cross-fire situation," he said.
"When I saw him, the gun barrels were facing in my direction. I can't say if he was pointing the gun specifically at me. He had the gun in what I'd regard as a firing position. He faced in my direction. I felt in danger of my own safety having regard to what I'd seen John do earlier with the gun, his dexterity and what I perceived as his willingness to shoot," he said.
"I felt in fear of my own safety so I immediately jumped the wall."
When he took cover, he lost sight of Mr Carthy. He then heard a number of shots, three or four, with a small break between them.
"When the shots ceased I peered over the wall and saw John lying on his right side in the road with blood on his chest and he appeared to be seriously injured," Sgt Sullivan said.
He said they rolled Mr Carthy on to the flat of his back. He gave him cardiac massage and another garda gave mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
Mr Michael O'Higgins SC, for the Carthy family, cross-examining, asked if he would have done anything different.
Sgt Sullivan replied: "I believe I acted and everybody I witnessed at the scene acted in a professional manner and we did our utmost to resolve the situation peacefully and I'm quite happy that everything was done that could be done."
Earlier, Sgt Sullivan said he had tried talking to Mr Carthy while he was in the house. Mr Carthy regularly levelled the gun at him and he had to duck down. Mr Carthy smirked and gave the impression that he thought he was in control.
"Utterances like 'Free State bastards' and 'Shoot me, shoot me' were said like a taunt to shoot him," he said.
At one point Mr Carthy came to the window and put two arms out with the gun in one hand and leaned forward and taunted them to shoot him, Sgt Sullivan said.