Latest Breaking News

angka

(1,599 posts) Thu Mar 17, 2016, 09:30 PM Mar 2016

Rep. Ken Buck (R) introduces bill to make targeted killing of a police officer a hate crime

Source: Greeley Tribune

Alan Franklin, political director for the liberal group Progress Now Colorado, said it’s an interesting question whether police officers rightly fit in hate-crime statutes.

“The question is whether or not a police officer is really appropriately covered by such a statute, especially when there are many laws that severely penalize violence against police officers already,” he said.

Still, he pointed out, Buck made use of bias-motivated statues as a prosecutor. As the Weld District Attorney, he successfully prosecuted Allen Andrade in 2009 under a bias-motivated crime statute for the murder of Angie Zapata, a transgender woman.

“With that said, I think that Ken Buck is probably going to run into more problems with this in his own party, legitimizing the concept of biased-motivated crimes at all,” Franklin said. “As you know many conservatives are wholly opposed to that in theory.”

Read more: http://www.greeleytribune.com/news/21172538-113/rep-ken-buck-introduces-blue-lives-matter-bill

9 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Rep. Ken Buck (R) introduces bill to make targeted killing of a police officer a hate crime (Original Post) angka Mar 2016 OP

I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY GOOD IDEA persuadable Mar 2016 #1

If they hate cops, they will kill cops, so it is a hate crime. Archae Mar 2016 #3

This is silly political posturing. Police officers are already a protected class. Killing one Chakab Mar 2016 #4

Agreed! LiberalFighter Mar 2016 #6

I don't really have a problem with this, in the abstract at-least. Chan790 Mar 2016 #2

The aggravted circumstances already exist in the form of the mandate that people who kill officers Chakab Mar 2016 #5

Killing a cop in Colorado is already punishable by life without parole or death. Eugene Mar 2016 #7

This isn't about cop killers, it's about making the police a protected class. Taitertots Mar 2016 #8

Not necessary. States have it covered. Will somebody introduce a bill to make killing sinkingfeeling Mar 2016 #9

persuadable

(53 posts)

1. I BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY GOOD IDEA

Reply to angka (Original post)

Thu Mar 17, 2016, 09:58 PM

Mar 2016

Anyone who is targeted for what they are, is a victim of a hate crime

Archae

(46,340 posts)

3. If they hate cops, they will kill cops, so it is a hate crime.

Reply to persuadable (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 17, 2016, 10:18 PM

Mar 2016

And before anyone gets all wound up with cops killing the innocent, it's past time for better enforcement of when cops go bad.

And slowly, but surely, they are.

Chakab

(1,727 posts)

4. This is silly political posturing. Police officers are already a protected class. Killing one

Reply to persuadable (Reply #1)

Thu Mar 17, 2016, 10:20 PM

Mar 2016

Last edited Thu Mar 17, 2016, 11:05 PM - Edit history (1)

in the course of their duties in every state constitutes first degree murder irrespective of the circumstances of the homicide.

LiberalFighter

(51,020 posts)

6. Agreed!

Reply to Chakab (Reply #4)

Thu Mar 17, 2016, 10:36 PM

Mar 2016

Chan790

(20,176 posts)

2. I don't really have a problem with this, in the abstract at-least.

Reply to angka (Original post)

Thu Mar 17, 2016, 10:14 PM

Mar 2016

I'm not sure if "hate crime" is really the right term for it...but the concept of the law is a good one; targeted assassination or attempted assassination of a law enforcement official should be an aggravated and special circumstances crime in excess of the underlying charge.

Despite the intent of the law, I suspect the people most likely to be prosecuted under such a charge are terrorists...which is fine with me. I'd also support expanding the statute to cover other first responders...every once in a while someone gets the bad idea to target EMS and firefighters as-well. the net effect in any case is to cause disruption, panic and fear by interfering with the ability of first responders to do their jobs. Doing so, is in-and-of-itself, reasonably construed as a terroristic act.

Chakab

(1,727 posts)

5. The aggravted circumstances already exist in the form of the mandate that people who kill officers

Reply to Chan790 (Reply #2)

Thu Mar 17, 2016, 10:25 PM

Mar 2016

be charged with first degree/capital murder.

This is a case of the Republicans trying to score points based on the current backlash against police violence while co-opting the term "hate crime."

There's also no pressing need for a bill. In spite of all of the hysteria and false claims that criticism of the police was leading to violence being perpetrated against law enforcement, deaths of police officers by homicide in the US hit another record low last year.

This "war on cops" nonsense is a propaganda campaign meant to shut up the people who've had it will police violence and institutional incompetence in many law enforcement agencies.

http://www.nleomf.org/facts/research-bulletins/

https://www.aei.org/publication/is-there-really-a-war-on-cops-the-data-show-that-2015-will-likely-be-one-of-the-safest-years-in-history-for-police/

Eugene

(61,937 posts)

7. Killing a cop in Colorado is already punishable by life without parole or death.

Reply to angka (Original post)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 05:21 AM

Mar 2016

Violence against police is already a special class of crime.
A hate crime designation doesn't change much.

Taitertots

(7,745 posts)

8. This isn't about cop killers, it's about making the police a protected class.

Reply to angka (Original post)

Fri Mar 18, 2016, 07:07 AM

Mar 2016

Because the government wants an excuse to arrest people who criticize the police.

sinkingfeeling

(51,469 posts)

9. Not necessary. States have it covered. Will somebody introduce a bill to make killing