CLARKSDALE, Miss.–The Clarksdale Police officer shot Friday before he shot and killed the man who shot him, is expected to be okay. Meanwhile, the community is trying to figure out what to do about out-of-control violence.
“This isn’t a white or Black issue. It’s a community issue,” said John Campbell, a resident of Clarksdale, at a specially-called community meeting Monday. “We can sit here and have all the meetings in the world then send the police out to confront this. But, them confronting it is not gonna solve the problem. We have to get to the parents. We have to get to the schools. We have to get to our children. And, if we don’t do that, that blood is on our hands.”
Police Chief Robbie Linley told the city board that Hillhouse is expected to be okay. He said the bullet went in one side of his abdomen and out the other without hitting any vital organs or bones.He said Hillhouse was talkative when he was being examined at the hospital and asked about other people involved in the incident.
“I want to make one thing clear because I’ve seen stuff on Facebook. I do not believe and the Clarksdale Police Dept. does not believe at this time that this had anything to do with gangs, this shooting,” said Linley.
But, he said the city does have a gang problem to confront.
That may best be evidenced by the incident last week where a baby was shot, along with two adults when a house was shot up. Another one was shot up not far away, injuring a disabled young man’s foot.
Mayor Chuck Espy encouraged both prayer and involvement by parents and members of the community.
