A shooting in the Hood

THERE WAS AN Quincy Police officer-involved shooting last night. The suspect is dead. The officer was hospitalized but not injured, and is now on administrative leave. There are tons of questions and theories and plenty of brave Web Warriors blasting our police department and demanding justice. Justice? For what?

I'm checking The Whig for the best and most accurate information. Let's wait for the facts to come out. Apparently there were witnesses so hopefully we get a clear idea about what happened. Regardless, one life is lost and another changed forever.

We are desensitized to gun violence in this country. We watch police TV shows and movies and virtually every episode there's a gun fight and somebody dies from being shot. We just shrug it off and count it as entertainment, or a bad guy getting his just dues.

Barnaby will solve the murder!

Sheryl is watching an English show called Midsomer Murders. It's well done and the acting is top-notch (NOT). But in every episode, somebody gets shot, garroted, beheaded, poisoned, stabbed or pushed into a raging river. The woman who finds the body screams into her hands and entire town lies to the police. The good guy inspector solves the murder, and life goes on until it ends again in the next episode. *Interesting trivia: The main theme song is played on a Theremin.*

Truth is, in Quincy, Illinois, a police officer will likely get through his career without discharging his weapon.

So we don't realize just what a horrendous thing it is, to be involved in a shooting.

The other thing that strikes me is that this took place seven blocks from where we live in Calftown. It took place across the street from the house of our friend, John Potts (who works at The Whig). It took place one block from Quincy Notre Dame High School and half a block from the Quincy Fire Department's Engine 5 firehouse. I've walked, scooted and driven past 11th and Jackson a thousand times and never once worried about my safety.

This type of thing can happen anywhere, anytime. But it won't be cleared up or solved in the space of your hour TV show.