North Carolina Republican Senator has introduced a bill that would increase penalties for criminals who target law enforcement officers.
Senator Ted Budd said the Back the Blue Act would also provide new tools for officers to protect themselves.
He said any criminal that puts a target on the backs of our police officers must be held firmly accountable for their actions to the fullest extent of the law.
Among the provisions, the bill creates a new federal crime for killing, attempting to kill, or conspiring to kill a federal judge, federal law enforcement officer, or federally funded public safety officer.
The offender would be subject to the death penalty and a mandatory minimum sentence of 30 years if death results; the offender would otherwise face a minimum sentence of 10 years.
The bill also allows law enforcement officers, subject to limited regulation, to carry firearms into federal facilities and other jurisdictions where such possession is otherwise prohibited.
