WAS SHOOTING PAYBACK?

Harvey Cops Wonder If Dealers Retaliated By Ambushing Officer

Harvey police suspect that gunmen who shot one of the city's police
officers last Friday may have been local drug dealers retaliating for the
department's antidrug efforts.

Officer Marcus Ellison was shot multiple times by someone in a car that
followed him down Wood Street as he drove home after his Friday shift.

Ellison had recently transferred out of the city's Special Operations Unit,
which for years has made drug dealers and gang crimes a top priority. Some
officers believe the shooting was a sign that the crackdown has been
effective. They see the attack on Ellison as retaliation against the
special operations unit and a warning to back off.

Of course, there's also the possibility that the attack was random and
unrelated to the police department's work.

In either case, the police department needs to redouble its efforts against
the gangs and thugs, and residents of the city need to support the police
against the troublemakers.

In the meantime, police are looking for evidence to help identify the
individuals involved in the shooting. Anyone with information about the
incident ought to contact the police; it's the least the law-abiding
citizens of Harvey can do in return for the efforts of the officers who put
their well-being on the line every working day.