Most people who heard about an ATV driver’s attack on Highway Patrolman Robert Charubini in Rowan County shook their heads. Who would do such a thing, and why?

The exception would be the culprit himself and the person who was four-wheeling with him. Whatever the “why” of the attack and their flight from the scene, they know the answer to the “who” — and are hiding like cowards in hopes no one finds out. 

It’s just a matter of time. Neither investigators nor the public will let this crime go unpunished.

The trooper’s story is chilling. Around 2 a.m. Saturday, he was stopping two ATVs he found traveling on snow-covered roads in the vicinity of N.C. 153 and Mount Moriah Church Road in southern Rowan County. State law prohibits ATVs from traveling on public roads except to cross.

According to one report from the N.C. Troopers Association, the ATVs had actually passed Charubini’s marked patrol car. The trooper turned on his blue lights to stop the pair, and they pulled into a side road He got out of his patrol car and walked toward the vehicles.

“At that point, one of the operators intentionally drove toward the trooper at a high rate of speed, striking him,” a press release from the N.C. Department of Public Safety said. “The operator then turned around and attempted to strike the trooper a second time. At that point, the trooper discharged his service weapon attempting to avoid further injury, causing both operators to flee the scene.”

The impact broke Charubini’s leg and cut his chin.

Some people think a war is being waged against law enforcement in this country, and several high-profile attacks have fed the fear. FBI data does not back up that perception, however, according to a Boston Globe report. “The number of officers killed in the line of duty is flat or slightly down over the last 10 years, and those numbers are well below where they were in the 1970s,” the Globe reported last week. FBI data also shows officers assaulted by firearms has remained flat over the last decade.

All the more reason to track down the ATV attacker and his friend. This country is not about to look the other way when officers are under attack, and neither will the people of Rowan County. Law enforcement is vital to public safety and order; an attack on an officer is an attack on the fabric of our society.

The North Carolina Troopers Association is offering a cash reward of $1,000 for information leading to the capture and arrest of the suspects. Anyone with information is being asked to contact the Highway Patrol Communications Center at 800-233-3151.

Someone is bound to know who the attacker is. Go ahead. Call. We know you’re out there. Better he than ye.