Alarmed by a wave of shootings targeting police officers, state Assemblyman Jay Obernolte (R-Big Bear) has introduced a bill that would make an attack on law enforcement a hate crime in California, allowing stiffer penalties for those convicted.
Obernolte’s bill comes after a series of shootings that have left 62 law enforcement officers dead so far this year, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. That is up from 38 officers shot to death in the line of duty by this time last year.
“Our police officers put their lives on the line every day and it’s deeply disturbing when they are intentionally targeted because of their chosen profession,” Obernolte said Tuesday in a statement. “This law will send a message to criminals targeting law enforcement officers that their reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated.”
Offenses committed because of the victim’s race, religion, disability or sexual orientation may currently be prosecuted as hate crimes in California. Conviction of a hate crime in California can result in an additional one to three years in state prison being tacked on to an offender's sentence, depending on the circumstances, the Los Angeles Times reports.
