The Garda Ombudsman has been informed of an incident in Dublin overnight in which a man was injured.
Gardaí responded to a report of the false imprisonment of a woman last night and subsequently identified a car that had left the area at speed.
The vehicle was travelling in the direction of the Tallaght bypass when it crashed on the city side of the Spawell roundabout shortly after midnight.
A male got out of the car and Gardaí said he "subsequently received an injury". RTÉ radio reported that he was the victim of a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head, after threatening unarmed gardaí with a firearm.
The station's crime correspondent also said the incident of false imprisonment arose following the break-up of a relationship, and gardaí noticed an injured woman apparently being detained against her will at a petrol station.
However, An Garda Síochána are not releasing any details of the incident while the matter is under investigation.
The wounded man has been taken to Tallaght hospital, where he is believed to be in a critical condition.
A spokesperson for the force said the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission has been notified.
In a statement, the Ombudsman said they attended the scene of the incident shortly after midnight last night, and it was reported to them under section 102 - which provides for circumstances "where death or serious harm has occurred to a person that has been in contact with a garda."