Local lawmaker drafting law for stricter penalties for assaulting K9 officers in Tennessee - WRCB-TV
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The bill comes as Bradley County Sheriff's K9 Officer Joker was shot during a search for theft suspects last month. Six minors are facing charges in connection to the incident.
A Bradley County Sheriff's K9 deputy who was shot in the line of duty could soon have a law named after him.
"Joker's Law" aims to make the penalties for shooting K9 officers much stricter in Tennessee.
K9 Officer Joker was shot during a search for theft suspects last month. He is home with his handler now and is recovering after undergoing surgery for his injuries.
The six minors arrested for the incident are facing a range of charges, including attempted intentional shooting of an animal. Under current law, they could be facing at least a year in prison, if convicted.
"I want to draft some legislation that's the most aggressive in the country," said TN Rep. Mark Hall (R-Cleveland), who is planning on drafting the bill. "I want to send a message, not only just to Tennesseans, but also to the rest of the country that when you come to Tennessee, you do not attack our law enforcement, our law enforcement community or our law enforcement K9's."
Hall's plan is to make harsher minimum sentences for people convicted of the crime. Under current state law, people convicted would face a minimum of a year in prison. Under Hall's proposal, that would increase to at least three years.
"Hopefully it's a deterrent," said Bradley County Mayor Executive Assistant Adam Lewis. "We regret that it took an incident like this for a change like this in the law to be proposed. But we certainly hope that it's something that gains support."
It has the support of Bradley County Sheriff Steve Lawson, too.
"We agree that there should be stronger laws in place in order to protect our K9 officers," said Sheriff Lawson in a Facebook post. "We appreciate his determination to activate this legislation!"
Joker is doing fine now. He was released from the animal hospital after surgery earlier this week. He is mostly walking on his own, but needs some help and is still eating out of a feeding tube.
Hall plans to begin drafting the legislation when the general assembly goes into special session on October 18. He hopes to introduce it early next year.
"An attack on a law enforcement K9 isn't just an attack on law enforcement, it's an attack on our family," said Hall. "Both of which is unacceptable here in East Tennessee."
It's unacceptable to everyone who knows Joker and they hope stricter penalties will stop any K9 from going through the same experience.
"The simple fact that he's an animal doesn't change the service that he provides to the county," said Lewis. "He's one of our best K9 units, if not the best."
source: https://www.wrcbtv.com/story/44906665/local-lawmaker-drafting-law-for-stricter-penalties-for-assaulting-k9-officers-in-tennessee
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