OUR VIEW: Kudos to police for great work after crime

» An excellent joint effort by law enforcement agencies led to a quick capture in Wednesday’s shooting at West Side Grocery.

Our police officers put themselves in the way of potential harm every day, yet many of us take them for granted — until something happens like what transpired Wednesday at West Side Grocery on Sperryville Pike.

A man walked into the store, pulled a sawed-off shotgun and demanded money from the clerk. The clerk complied, and at some point gave the gunman a little something extra — a well-deserved dose of Mace. Unfortunately, the gunman then shot the clerk, who is now recovering in an area hospital — and we wish him the best.

The gunman then fled the scene, prompting a manhunt that sent a scare through the community.

Within minutes, worried citizens were buzzing about a gunman on the loose. A police helicopter circled the town as law-enforcement officers sought the suspect.

Thankfully, they found Steven Leavell, 18, on Virginia Avenue less than two hours later. It was good police work that led to swift apprehension and good communication that helped ease the minds of the citizenry as the event unfolded.

Now, it’s up to the court system.

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The West Side shooting came on the heels of another incident that reminds us we can’t take our criminal justice workers for granted.

A Culpeper grand jury recently handed up 44 indictments against four inmates at Culpeper Juvenile Correctional Center stemming from an apparent riot at the institution last month.

Terrence Henderson, 18, Kevon Johnson, 18, Wilbert Smith, 20, and Rajit Nash, 18, face charges of malicious wounding by a mob, gang participation and felony destruction of property.

Even though the juvenile center and adjacent Coffeewood Correctional Center are right in our backyard, we don’t often think about the potential for danger because the staff at those institutions does an excellent job of maintaining order. We all need to thank them for that.