A man has died following a shooting involving police in Dublin, a Garda watchdog said.

Gardai were searching for a missing woman who was feared abducted.

Police said they “interacted” with the driver of a vehicle, thought to be aged 40, at around 8pm on Sunday evening in the Cherrywood business district in the south of the Irish capital and fired a weapon.

They had received a report of a woman being forced into a car in Co Wicklow.

Jastine Valdez missing
Emergency services at a business park in the Cherrywood area (Peter Varga/PA)

Jastine Valdez, 24, from Enniskerry in the county but originally from the Philippines and studying in Ireland, was last seen when she left her home on Saturday afternoon.

A Garda statement said: “Gardai investigating the disappearance of Jastine Valdez interacted with the driver of a vehicle at approximately 8pm this evening the 20th May 2018 in the Cherrywood area of Dublin.

“An official Garda firearm was discharged.”

A Garda helicopter, cars, support units, and ambulances were at the scene of the shooting at the business park.

The force is still searching for Ms Valdez.

A police watchdog, the Garda Siochana Ombudsman’s Commission, is investigating the shooting and the police force referred all queries to the Commission.

Irish broadcaster RTE said the dead man was armed with a knife and was a father-of-two from the Wicklow area.

Photographer Peter Varga said the scene was under armed guard.

“It is a huge car park between the Dell building and the Luas track, there is a huge space.

“I also saw some people obviously in shock coming out of the scene with one policeman.

“The people were in shock and crying, there were four males and one female.”

The scene is surrounded by apartment blocks and onlookers gathered outside on Sunday evening.

Mr Varga said a vehicle police had been pursuing, a Nissan Qashqai, was abandoned at the scene of the shooting with its windows down.

Jastine Valdez missing
Emergency services were called after the shooting (Peter Varga/PA)

A manhunt had been under way for the man whom gardai were told was seen forcing Ms Valdez into his car in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow.

The Garda statement added: “Gardai have located a 171 D Nissan Qashqui they had earlier appealed for at the scene of the shooting.

“Gardai continue to appeal for Jastine Valdez and also for anyone who may have seen the movements of the 171 D Nissan Qashqui since yesterday to 8pm today the 20th May 2018.”

A statement from the commission said it had deployed a team of investigators to the scene of a shooting, following a referral from the Garda, that occurred in Cherrywood, Bray, Co. Wicklow, on Sunday evening.

It added: “It has just been confirmed that he has died.”

Earlier, the Garda said it was extremely concerned for Ms Valdez’s safety.

A Garda statement said she normally regularly contacted her family using social media.

“Contact has stopped so we are very, extremely concerned for her safety. If anybody can help us to locate her we would very much appreciate it.”

Gardai told RTE she was on her way home to Enniskerry when the suspected abduction happened.

“We are looking at that at the moment, trying to clarify her last movements on CCTV and taking statements from witnesses.
“We have a large investigation team working on it.”

She was reported missing by her family late on Saturday night.

Jastine is around 5ft, of slight build with long black hair and brown eyes. When last seen she was wearing a dark coloured jacket, white T-shirt, grey leggings and runners.