No day is ‘routine’ for law enforcement on Owatonna

What may seem to be the most routine traffic stop by a law enforcement officer has the potential of danger, even of being life-threatening. That was made evident this week right here in Steele County when a state trooper pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 35 near Hope for having what the trooper said was an impaired vision violation.
No sooner had the trooper approached the vehicle than the driver allegedly bolted from the vehicle and ran south down the interstate and then jumped in the ditch. At that point, the trooper said, he saw what he believed to be the driver crouching in the ditch and aiming a gun at the trooper. Believing his life to be in danger, the trooper fired his gun.
The local encounter comes on the heels of a bloody incident in Washington state, where an ex-con entered a coffee shop and allegedly gunned down four police officers who were doing nothing more than having a cup of coffee together. The ex-con, Maurice Clemmons, was shot and killed Tuesday night when a lone officer on patrol spotted a stolen car and pulled it over to check it out. Clemmons was shot by the patrolman when he made a move for a gun he had taken from one of the slain officers.
If there is a lesson here, it is that there is no such thing as “routine” for those involved in law enforcement. They never know what traffic stop could turn into a gun battle. They, in fact, can never be sure when they might be a target of someone simply for the fact that they are police officers.
Already this year, 112 police officers have died in the line of duty nationwide. While that number is down from last year, it is still too high. Indeed, when even one police officer dies in the line of duty, it is too many.
It is easy to criticize police. But let’s remember that they are out there risking their lives to keep us safe, never knowing if the next traffic stop could prove deadly. So when you see a police officer this week, take time to thank them for their willingness to protect and serve.

Owatonna People’s Press editorials are the opinion of the Press editorial board. Other editorials, columns, letters and cartoons appearing on this page are the opinions of the authors and artists and not necessarily the People’s Press.

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