Jerry McCabe
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Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was a member of the Garda Siochána, the police force of the Republic of Ireland. He was killed in Adare, County Limerick on June 7, 1996, by members of the Provisional IRA during the attempted robbery of a post office. His colleague, Detective Garda Ben O'Sullivan, survived.
[edit] The robbery
The two detectives were escorting an An Post van at 6:50a.m. on the morning in question when Detective O'Sullivan spotted a Pajero heading towards them from behind. The car collided with them. One of the robbers got out of the Pajero and fired fourteen rounds from an AK-47 at them. Three rounds hit Jerry McCabe, killing him. Ben O'Sullivan was seriously injured.
Shortly after the shooting, a Mitsubishi Lancer arrived and the would-be robbers made their getaway in it. No money had been stolen by them, but both vehicles used at the crime scene had been stolen.
The PIRA Army Council announced that they were not involved in the killing, leading to suspicion that the attack was not IRA-sanctioned. Bertie Ahern, the Taoiseach, said that he believed the Army Council, calling them honest.
The gardaí had been armed with .38 Smith & Wesson revolvers and an Uzi, but the trial concluded that they had not had time to use them.
Bullet casings found at the scene were unique in Ireland to the IRA at the time.
[edit] Political controversy
Initially, the killing was denounced by the leadership of Sinn Féin, the political wing of the IRA, but later the party lobbied for the early release of McCabe's killers under the terms of the Belfast Agreement.
His killers were convicted of manslaughter.
