Last weekend, a young man was assaulted on the South Side. Hit on the head with a pistol and shot in the hand, the 20-year-old wasn't the victim of a mugger or a street gang. He was terrorized by someone he should have had no reason to fear.

The young man's assailant was an eight-year veteran of the Pittsburgh Police. Officer Paul Abel is accused of assaulting Kaleb Miller after drinking with his wife at a tavern on Carson Street. With a blood-alcohol level of 0.11, Mr. Abel should never have been driving.

Police said that, while behind the wheel of his car at a stop light, the off-duty officer was allegedly struck by one of two men who then fled the scene. In a rage, Mr. Abel searched for his assailant. Eventually, he found Mr. Miller, who did not fit the description of either man, and attacked him.

The random nature of the assault is one of the most chilling aspects of this case. It was as savage and unprovoked as any street crime, making it even more reprehensible because a man sworn to uphold the law is accused of violating it.

After Mr. Abel was questioned, he was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and driving while intoxicated. He was also suspended without pay, pending the outcome of an internal investigation. Fortunately, Mr. Miller is able to testify about what happened to him.

Pittsburgh Police Chief Nate Harper did the right thing in suspending Mr. Abel. Confidence in the police would have been shaken had he been allowed to return to his duties. Still, the public has a right to wonder how an officer facing nearly a dozen misconduct charges before the city's Citizen Police Review Board can stay on the force.

Chief Harper's swift disciplinary action indicates the days of the rogue cop in Pittsburgh may be over. It's about time.