INVESTIGATION | 

Garda superintendent faces inquiry over alleged racial abuse of bouncer at city centre pub

The Leinster-based superintendent is reported to have told a rank-and-file garda who placed him in handcuffs following the incident “do you not know who I am”

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A high-ranking garda is under investigation for allegedly racially abusing a bouncer at a city centre pub and allegedly assaulting a female member of staff at the same venue.

The Leinster-based superintendent is reported to have told a rank-and-file garda who placed him in handcuffs following the incident “do you not know who I am”, in reference to his seniority within the force, leading to the investigating garda contacting senior colleagues to attend the scene.

The incident took place last Saturday night at a well-known city nightspot and the matter has now been referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (Gsoc), gardaí have confirmed.

The senior officer has not been arrested but gardaí did take initial statements of complaint from the two alleged victims, a female bar manager as well as a bouncer at the venue, in the immediate aftermath.

Gardaí have now handed over the probe in its entirety to the garda watchdog, which has the power to arrest the superintendent if necessary.

The senior garda has now been placed on “restrictive duties” by An Garda Síochána, meaning he has been restricted to office-bound duties.

When contacted, Garda headquarters confirmed the incident to the Sunday Independent. ​

It is understood the senior officer was out socialising with friends when the incident took place last Saturday night.

It is alleged the situation began as a verbal row with the DJ at the venue and it then escalated.

The superintendent left the premises and “that should have been the end of the matter”, according to one source, but he then returned.

He is reported to have racially abused a bouncer and he slapped the phone out of a female bar manager’s

The source said: “The alleged assault is at the lower end of the scale. The more serious element for the officer concerned is the racial abuse allegation he directed at the bouncer. This has the potential to be investigated as a hate crime by Gsoc. There are three witnesses to the incident in question.”

Gardaí were contacted and attended the scene. It is understood the senior officer was placed in handcuffs and put into the back of a squad car. He was not arrested, but handcuffed to “calm the situation down”, the source added.

He then told the rank-and-file officer that he was a garda superintendent in what is being viewed as an attempt to “pull rank” during the course of his detainment. The garda, who did not know the superintendent and could not verify his identity, opted to phone a senior colleague to attend the scene.

“It is within the powers of gardaí to place someone in handcuffs without arresting them, and that is what happened in this case.

A more senior officer was contacted and attended the scene. He was able to verify his identity.

“By confirming who he was, it meant gardaí then knew how to find him if they required to speak to him further about the incident. He was informed of that. The entire case is now a matter for Gsoc,” the source said.

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