A Cleveland, Tennessee, lawmaker wants killing, attempting to kill or injuring a law enforcement K-9 to be a felony in Tennessee and has introduced legislation that could be dubbed “Joker’s Law” if it passes the General Assembly.
Rep. Mark Hall, R-Cleveland, said Tuesday in a telephone interview that he drafted the bill during the House’s recent special session on COVID-19 legislation to make killing or injuring a police K-9 a “Class B” felony, making it punishable by eight to 30 years in prison and up to a $25,000 fine. The measure would also include horses used by police.
Hall said the proposed legislation is called “Joker’s Law,” named for Bradley County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Joker, who was shot during a pursuit of theft suspects on Sept. 22. Hall’s legislation hasn’t been assigned a House bill number yet, but he thinks it could become a model for the rest of the nation.
Current law “doesn’t move the needle in a positive way, and I think this will. A Class B felony will certainly send a message not only to criminals in Tennessee but throughout the country,” Hall said, calling the proposal “pretty aggressive legislation,” while it doesn’t raise assaulting a K-9 to the same level as a human.
(READ MORE: Bradley County K-9 Joker recovering at home with a long road ahead)