On Thursday, Senator Mike Braun and Senators Ted Cruz, Ron Johnson, Marco Rubio, James Lankford, Eric Schmitt, Thom Tillis, Bill Hagerty, John Kennedy, John Hoeven, John Boozman, and Ted Budd reintroduced the Thin Blue Line Act, a bill to increase penalties for criminals who target our cops.
Braun
The Thin Blue Line Act makes the targeting, killing, or attempted killing of a police officer an aggravating factor in favor of maximum sentences. Currently this applies to federal law enforcement; the Thin Blue Line Act would apply this to local and state police as well.
In just the first month of this year, 34 police officers were shot in the U.S. As Law Officer reports, the number of officers shot in the line of duty has more than doubled since 2020.
“There is a war on our cops, and it’s time we raise the price of targeting them,” Sen. Braun said. “The Thin Blue Line Act will make targeting or killing a police officer in a violent crime an aggravating factor in favor the harshest penalties we have. President Biden said in his State of the Union speech last week that police officers put their lives on the line every day, and that we ask them to do too much. I agree, and as cities continue to encourage crime by going easy on violent criminals, I’m calling on President Biden to announce his support for this legislation to increase the penalties for those who try to kill cops.”
Sen. Braun decided to take the lead in re-introducing the Thin Blue Line Act in the 118th Congress after Elwood, Ind., officer Noah Shahnavaz was killed by a career violent criminal who had previously shot at Indianapolis police and struck a police cruiser multiple times during a chase, but ended up back on the streets after serving 13 years of a 25-year sentence.
“All that Noah ever wanted to do is help others,” said Laurie and Matt Shahnavaz, parents of Officer Noah Shahnavaz. “Society has been robbed of the many positive impacts he would have had on our world. It is time that we the people demand stiffer penalties for evildoers who commit violent acts against heroes called to serve and protect. Thank you, Senator Braun, for leading this charge.”
Indiana has had several police officers killed or injured in the line of duty in recent years, including FBI task force officer and 30-year veteran of the Terre Haute Police Department Greg Ferency, who was killed in July 2021, and 28-year-old Richmond officer Seara Burton who was shot by a violent criminal during a traffic stop and died five weeks later.
This bill has the support of Indiana Fraternal Order of Police, Indiana Sheriff’s Association, Indiana Association of Chiefs of Police, Indiana State Police Alliance, National Fraternal Order of Police, National Troopers Coalition, National Association of Police Organizations, National Council of Prison Locals, and Voices of JOE.