Misinformation surrounding the death of Garda Kevin Flatley remains on social media platforms despite attempts to have it removed, gardaí say.
A number of messages have been circulated on TikTok, WhatsApp and other social media platforms, which gardaí said is "completely inaccurate" and "has no basis in fact whatsoever".
The content has been circulating online for over 24 hours.
Gardaí said their attention was drawn to the content by people concerned, who subsequently contacted them.
The Whatsapp voice messages were recorded by a woman with a Dublin accent who claims to have been passing along the road in north Dublin shortly before Garda Flatley was killed.
She uses profanities, levies insults and makes what gardaí say are false claims in the recording.
These messages were also circulated on X.
A separate TikTok video has also been circulated of a man speaking to camera using profanities, abusing the gardaí and making claims about what he thinks happened last Sunday.
In a statement, Garda Headquarters said the commentary being shared online is completely inaccurate and has no basis in fact.
It said this type of misinformation "risks diverting garda resources and time from what is a complex and ongoing investigation" into the incident.
Gardaí said they have had to check the veracity of such claims but in this case have moved to dismiss them quickly.
The events prior to and of the fatal collision were captured on CCTV.
Garda Headquarters said they have regularly highlighted the rise in the level of misinformation, disinformation and fake news, adding such content is "typically amplified by multiple accounts to spread concern within communities".
They reiterated an appeal to the public to independently verify any information they read on social media and/or messaging apps.
An Garda Síochána said it has made social media companies aware of misinformation in relation to the incident, adding it is a matter for such firms to comment on requests from gardaí for this material to be removed from their platforms.
— Garda Info (@gardainfo) May 14, 2025
RTÉ News contacted Meta, TikTok and X for a response to the garda statement.
WhatsApp is end-to-end encrypted which means no one, including WhatsApp, can monitor or remove the messages.
However, Meta may be able to shut down the accounts if the gardaí can tell them what accounts are being used to share such content.
Meta's website notes that last August its security teams blocked a small cluster of WhatsApp accounts in Iran posing as support agents for tech companies.
TikTok is currently reviewing content and a spokesperson said any material that goes against its community guidelines will be removed.
There has no been no response from X.
At around 1pm on Sunday, Garda Flatley was using a speed gun and recorded a motorcyclist travelling at speed on the R132 and tried to flag him down.
However, the garda was struck by a high-powered Yamaha R1 1000cc motorcycle and died at the scene.
The motorcyclist, who is aged in his 30s, was critically injured in the incident and remains in Beaumont Hospital.
The funeral of Garda Flatley is to take place in Balbriggan on Friday.
