Two unarmed gardaí tackled and disarmed a raider who tried to rob a supermarket with a firearm.
The man armed with what is now believed to be an imitation firearm ran into the Supervalu on Military Road in Dublin 8 at around 7pm and demanded money.
The headquarters of An Garda Síochána's specialist units, Walter Scott House, is across the road from the shop and two plainclothes officers from the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation were in the supermarket at the time.
They are licenced to carry firearms but were on a break and their weapons were locked away while they had gone to the shop for some food.
The male and female officers heard the armed robber shouting and threatening staff and the male detective identified himself as a garda, confronted the raider and told him to put the gun down.
He did not know at the time the firearm was a replica.
The raider however came out from behind the counter and moved towards the garda with the gun pointed at him.
The officer tackled him and his female colleague and a member of the public assisted.
They succeeded in disarming and subduing the man until local gardaí from Kilmainham arrived.
No one was injured in the incident but gardaí are described as having been "shook" by the experience.
The armed robber, a man in his 40s, was arrested and is being detained under Section 4 of the Criminal Justice Act.
He can be questioned for up to 24 hours
Garda Headquarters said the two gardaí are being provided with all necessary welfare support by local management.
