US Senator Pat Toomey is pushing for tougher laws to go after those who harm police officers.
Since 2010, 1500 police officers have been killed in the line of duty across the US. Senator Toomey believes his new bill could help prevent those tragedies from happening.
"I think that, in the tragic event that a police officer falls in the line of duty, we owe that officer justice."
Today, Toomey announcing the reintroduction of the 'Thin Blue Line Act'. Right now, when a murder victim is a federal law enforcement officer or federal prosecutor, jurors must weigh that as an aggravating factor in favor of the death penalty. This bill would do the same for local law enforcement officers, prosecutors, and first responders.
"If you murder or target a police officer, you should expect the harshest possible penalty."
The bill previously passed the US House in 2017, but never got a vote in the Senate. At the time it received pushback from Civil Rights groups like the 'Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights,' who said the bill could "ultimately exacerbate existing tension between law enforcement and the communities they serve."
The Thin Blue Line Act bill is currently in the US Senate Judiciary Committee.
