Baker Wants Tougher Laws, Penalties For Those Who Assault Police Officers

BOSTON (CBS/AP) — Gov. Charlie Baker has filed legislation to toughen laws and boost potential penalties for people charged with assaulting a police officer, a month after an Auburn officer was slain by a man with history of scuffles with law enforcement.

The legislation filed Thursday would upgrade causing serious bodily injury to an officer from a misdemeanor to a felony and boost the maximum prison time to 10 years; require judges to sentence people convicted of seriously injuring an officer to prison time and not probation; and allow judges to hold a person charged with assaulting on officer without bail if appropriate.

Auburn Officer Ronald Tarentino Jr. was shot and killed during a May 22 traffic stop by a man with a lengthy criminal record that included assaults on police.

Baker told WBZ-TV he hopes the legislation sends a message to people.

"If you get into a fight with a police officer there are going to be consequences for that," he said.  "Police officers put themselves at risk every single day and we should respect that."

(TM and © Copyright 2016 CBS Radio Inc. and its relevant subsidiaries. CBS RADIO and EYE Logo TM and Copyright 2016 CBS Broadcasting Inc. Used under license. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

Read more
f

We and our partners use cookies to understand how you use our site, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising. Read about how we use cookies in our cookie policy and how you can control them by clicking Manage Settings. By continuing to use this site, you accept these cookies.