U.S. Senator Mike Braun (R-Ind.) has signed onto Senator Tom Tillis’ (R-N.C.) Protect and Serve Act, which would make violence or attempted violence against police officers a federal crime.
Braun
“Criminals who target police officers should pay the highest penalty possible,” Braun said. “Our brave men and women in law enforcement put their lives on the line every day so we can live in safety, and the cowards who seek to harm them need to be sent a clear message: Target police, and you will pay.”
The bill, introduced Thursday, follows a recent rise in violence toward police, including an attack over the weekend in which two Los Angeles law enforcement officers were ambushed and shot.
The bill would apply to local, state and federal law enforcement officers and is endorsed by the Fraternal Order of Police, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, and the National Association of Police Organizations.
The Protect and Serve Act would:
- Make it a federal crime to knowingly cause, or attempt to cause, serious bodily injury to a law enforcement officer. Offenders are subject to imprisonment for up to 10 years.
- An offender could receive a life sentence if a death results from the offense, or the offense includes kidnapping, attempted kidnapping, or attempted murder.