EDITORIAL JOB WELL DONE OFFICERS DESERVE CREDIT FOR HANDLING OF I-10 STANDOFF.

THERE are things worse than a seemingly endless traffic jam. Deliberately and needlessly killing a human being, even a troubled soul engaged in crime, would be one of them.

So for all of those frustrated by Tuesday's four-hour shutdown of the San Bernardino Freeway, take heart: This was a traffic jam worth enduring.

While thousands of commuters fought their way through traffic snarls that fanned out from the I-10 in Alhambra and sought out alternate routes, law-enforcement officers did some of their finest work in apprehending accused would-be kidnapper Dennis Elliot Shellhouse.

After two failed attempts during a 75-mile chase from Westlake Village to the San Gabriel Valley, California Highway Patrol officers were able to employ the pursuit immobilization technique - bumping Shellhouse's minivan from behind and forcing it to spin and smash into a soundwall.

From there, CHP officers and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies expertly boxed in the car so Shellhouse could not flee again. They closed off the area, ensuring that no one else could get harmed. And they began trying to convince him not to kill himself but to surrender.

For Southlanders trapped in the gridlock, this episode might have created a real sense of road rage. ``Just shoot him and get it over with!'' or ``Let him kill himself, already'' was no doubt the thought that passed through the mind of many commuters and television viewers.

But law enforcement must react not out of passion but in accordance with the laws and values of society. Officers are expected to exercise restraint, to protect all lives, and to use only as much force as they must.

To their great credit, the cops on the scene did just that.

When Shellhouse finally tossed his cell phone and gave up on negotiations, they moved in. First came a flash-bang grenade and tear gas, then a police dog trained to drag the suspect out of the car.

When Shellhouse then allegedly pointed his gun at a deputy, authorities responded with a single disabling gunshot, wounding him in his arm and chest. They did what they had to do and never lost control of the situation. Shellhouse was hospitalized but is recovering. He will get treatment for what's wrong with him and answer to the charges against him in court.

For all the times that the public - and the press - get angry over occasional incidents involving excessive use of force, this one offers a textbook example of how law-enforcement officers do their jobs 99 percent of the time.

This time, there was no hail of bullets. No questionable tactics. The California Highway Patrol officers and Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies did their jobs right.

And for that, they deserve all of our thanks and applause.