Community support strong for Clearcreek Twp. police officer shot in line of duty

CLEARCREEK TWP. — The incident in Clearcreek Twp. that left police Officer Eric Ney shot and wounded has sparked an outpouring of support in the community that borders Springboro.

Norma Barker, who runs Flower Loft Florist, paid to have flowers delivered to the township police department in honor of the 14-year veteran officer who is recovering at a local hospital.

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“It was a terrible accident, we just want them to know how bad we feel about what happened,” Barker told News Center 7′s Mike Campbell on Thursday.

With Ney out indefinitely and Sgt. Nicole Cordero, who shot and wounded Mark Evers, the suspect in the domestic violence incident that brought police to the 5900 block of state Route 48 on Tuesday night, the township police department is short-handed as well as physically and emotionally wounded.

“I wouldn’t do it,” said Dale Trent, a Warren County resident. “That’s how tough it is.”

People in the community said they admire the men and woman still willing to go to work in law enforcement each day. They continue in that admiration with the belief that the demands of the job are growing worse each day.

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“Every time you turn around, whether it is a traffic stop or a domestic violence, you never know what’s going to happen, it is a very, very tough job, I wouldn’t want to do it,” Trent said.

Another community resident, Bill Bostelman, said, “I cant imagine. You never know what is going to happen. The drugs are terrible. You don’t know if the guy is drunk or on drugs when you walk in on somebody.”

And like many law enforcement agencies in Ohio and across the nation, Clearcreek Twp. is looking to recruit new officers.

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