Off-duty police officer armed with traffic cone caught two robbers

An off-duty police officer in Ireland has been praised by a judge for arming himself with a traffic cone and catching two robbers who had raided a shop in Dublin. Det Garda Paul Johnson disabled the getaway motorbike after the robbery in Westland Row.

Dublin Circuit Criminal Court heard that Det Johnson was on his way to Pearse Street train station when he spotted two customers at the counter in the store wearing motorbike helmets. He stopped, thinking it was unusual, and noticed that their visors were pulled down. The detective then armed himself with a traffic cone and waited outside the shop having heard the men threatening staff.



He noticed that a motorbike parked outside the shop had its engine running and knocked it over anticipating it to be the getaway vehicle. When the raiders left the shop Det Johnson ran after them while protecting himself with the traffic cone. He identified himself as a police officer and noticed that one of the robber's was armed with a knife. He pushed him away and the robber fell over the motorbike.

Members of the public then came to the detective's assistance and managed to hold down the raiders until other police arrived. The judge praised the diligent work of Det Johnson who he said "disabled" the robber's getaway motorbike. The court heard that the cash was still on the men when they were arrested. Kevin Penrose, 49, of Casement Road, Finglas, was jailed for four years after he pleaded guilty to robbery. Larry Brazil, 52, of Cappagh Avenue, Finglas, received a four-year suspended sentence.