Although gardai did not go into specifics, the actual whatsapp message was from a foul-mouthed middle-aged Dublin woman who said she saw Garda Flatley running across a dual carriageway trying to flag down cars.
In the voice note, she said that she saw him telling people to slow down in an 80 zone even though they were only doing 60.
In reality however, this was a completely fabricated voice note. Gardai say that it’s completely false, misleading and factually incorrect. Essentially, the voice note is said to be a complete fabrication.
False information about the circumstances surrounding Garda Kevin Flatley’s death continues to appear on social media platforms, according to gardaÃ, despite their efforts to have it taken down, reports RTE.
The 49-year-old garda, who was married with two children, died last Sunday after being hit by a motorcycle while carrying out a speed check on the old Swords to Balbriggan Road.
Gardaà say several posts have been shared on platforms such as TikTok, WhatsApp, and others, describing the content as “completely inaccurate” and “has no basis in fact whatsoever”, reports RTE.
The misleading material has been circulating for more than a day online.
According to gardaÃ, members of the public flagged the content, prompting them to take action.
The voice notes on WhatsApp feature a woman with a Dublin accent claiming she was in the area of the north Dublin road shortly before Garda Flatley’s death, reports RTE.
In the recording, she uses offensive language, insults, and makes what authorities have described as baseless allegations.
These voice notes were also posted on X.
Additionally, a separate TikTok video has emerged showing a man swearing, criticising the gardaÃ, and sharing his own unverified thoughts about what occurred last Sunday, reports RTE.
Garda Headquarters released a statement affirming that the claims being made online are false and lack any factual foundation.
They added that such falsehoods “risk diverting garda resources and time from what is a complex and ongoing investigation” into the fatal crash, reports RTE.
Officers said they looked into the truthfulness of the messages, but have already ruled them out as inaccurate.
The fatal crash and the moments leading up to it were caught on CCTV.
Garda Headquarters also noted the increasing prevalence of fake news, misinformation and disinformation, saying this kind of content is “typically amplified by multiple accounts to spread concern within communities”, reports RTE.
They again urged people to fact-check anything they come across on messaging apps or social media.
An Garda SÃochána said that it had informed social media firms about the false content regarding the incident, but said the responsibility to respond to removal requests rests with those companies.
RTÉ News reached out to TikTok, Meta, and X to get their comments on the gardaÃ’s statement, reports RTE.
Due to WhatsApp’s end-to-end encryption, the messages cannot be seen or deleted by WhatsApp.
Still, Meta could possibly disable accounts if gardaà identify which ones are distributing the misinformation.
Meta previously disclosed that last August, it shut down a group of WhatsApp accounts in Iran that were impersonating tech support, reports RTE.
TikTok is reviewing the relevant posts, and a spokesperson confirmed that any videos breaching its community standards will be deleted.
There has been no reply from X so far.
On Sunday around 1pm, Garda Flatley was operating a speed detection device and clocked a motorcyclist speeding on the R132. He attempted to stop the vehicle, reports RTE.
However, he was struck by a powerful Yamaha R1 1000cc motorbike and died at the scene.
The rider, a man in his 30s, was seriously hurt and remains in critical condition at Beaumont Hospital.
Garda Flatley’s funeral will take place in Balbriggan on Friday, reports RTE.
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