A TD had a lucky escape after he tried to stop a daylight robbery in Dublin on Wednesday afternoon.
Following the incident, Sinn Fein spokesperson for Foreign Affairs and Defence John Brady has called for more garda resources in the capital.
The terrifying ordeal occurred outside a shopping centre along Merrion Road in Ballsbridge, Dublin 4, at the junction with Nutley Lane.
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Mr Brady was on a run during a break from the Dail when he encountered a locked bike being ripped from a rack.
He called out for the gang of vandals to stop, and one of the thugs ran toward him and reached for something in their pocket.
They then stole a bike and came toward him and two others, one of which was the owner of the bike being stolen.
While he was unable to stop the robbery of the bike, Deputy Brady said the situation was "frightening" as it happened on a busy Dublin street in broad daylight.
He has also backed up the calls for more gardai on the streets of the capital.
Posting on social media, he said: "Encountered first-hand today an example of criminality on our streets. Stuck in the Dáil until later tonight, I went out for a bit of a run between Dáil business this afternoon.
"I ran out along the Merrion road towards St Vincent's Hospital. When I got to the shopping centre at the junction, just as a I was passing there was an attempt in progress to steal some bikes.
"A number of individuals, wearing hoods and scarves over their faces were in the process of attempting to rob a bike that was clearly locked by yanking it off the rack. I let a roar at one of them to stop, running towards him, he turned and ran towards me, reaching inside his jacket for what I believed to be a weapon of some description.
"He then turned and ran in another direction where he grabbed an unlocked bike and came at me on the bike. I sidestepped him and tried to grab him off the bike but was unable to keep a grip. He made off, and myself and two teenagers one of whom owned the bike gave chase, but were unable to catch him.
"It was reported to Gardaí, and it is being investigated. It is frightening to think that the threat of crime and violence is there even in broad daylight in a busy area in the middle of Dublin. I was extremely lucky this could have escalated into something much worse. But it does again raise the debate about the need for additional resources for the Gardaí to tackle crime on our streets."
A garda spokeswoman told Dublin Live: "Gardaí are investigating a theft that occurred in Dublin 4 this afternoon, Wednesday 5 October 2022 at approximately 4.30pm. Investigations are ongoing at this time."
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