Roanoke Rapids Police Chief Jeff Hinton says he is pleased with the way his officer, John Taylor, is recovering.

One of the first things the chief was impressed with was the way he looked after surgery. “He looked really good because the last time I saw him in Roanoke Rapids I was worried about him and was concerned about his health,” Hinton said at a press conference today. “We’re ready for him to come back today. I know if he could, he’d be here today.”

Just how long it will take the officer, who was shot November 17 on Interstate 95 after making a traffic stop is unknown, Hinton said. “I’m sure his recovery will be as quickly as possible.”

Hinton said one of the first things Taylor asked him when he was able was, “Did we get them?”

That was reference to Michael Eugene Edgerton, who allegedly fired five shots at Taylor and later killed himself and Renee Michele Phillips, who has been charged as an accessory after the fact of attempted first degree murder. “The first time we talked we didn’t have them but we assured him we were looking. The next time we spoke he was glad they were apprehended and no one was in danger.”

That both Edgerton and Phillips were lost in national criminal databases and had bonds reduced in Pennsylvania is something the police department doesn’t dwell on, the chief said. “The justice system we have in America is not perfect but it does function, it does work. We are human and mistakes and oversights happen. This is not a lone case. It’s part of what we deal with in law enforcement and accept and conduct ourselves as professionals.”

While Taylor remains in pain and it will be a while before he returns to work, Hinton said, “He is in excellent spirits. He is focused, he is not angered, he is ready to come back to work. He is conducting himself as the true professional he is. He is an example to all of us.”

Of those that helped Taylor, three people who stopped when they saw him lying on the roadside remain known to only the chief and investigators. “What they did was very vital in helping John. They were the first folks to get to him and render him first aid and assure him assistance was on the way. We are forever grateful to them and will be recognizing them for their assistance.”