Completely false! Gardai dismiss online speculation following sudden death of man in Dublin
Authorities say misinformation, disinformation and fake news is upsetting and unhelpful
Gardai have moved to dismiss online comments and speculation relating to the sudden death of a man in Dublin on Wednesday night.
In a strongly-worded statement, issued at lunchtime this Thursday, they confirmed that members attended the scene of an incident after being alerted by the National Ambulance Service.
"Gardaí were requested to assist with a medical emergency near Saggart Luas Terminal. Gardaí sealed off Fortunestown Lane to allow ambulance personnel to treat a man who had taken seriously ill," said a spokesperson who added that the man, aged his 30s, was taken from the scene to Tallaght Hospital where he was later pronounced deceased.
Addressing the online commentary, the spokesperson added: "An Garda Síochána is aware of posts and comments online with misinformation and disinformation speculating and linking this personal incident to Immigration and International Protection. This speculation and commentary is completely false.
This sort of baseless speculation is not only generally unhelpful, but is upsetting to a family who have in the very immediate lost a loved one. An Garda Síochána is very aware of online misinformation, disinformation and fake news, not just in relation to this incident, but in general, in widespread public circulation."
Gardai are appealing to all members of the public to independently verify any information that they are reading on social media and/or messaging apps.