Oklahoma Senator to File Legislation Making Attacks on Police Hate Crimes

An Oklahoma state senator said Tuesday he plans to file a bill classifying targeted assaults or threats against law enforcement officers as hate crimes.

Sen. Casey Murdock’s (R-Felt) proposed legislation also included first responders, national guardsmen, and military service members, according to a press release by the Oklahoma Senate.

“Under current law, crimes with specific intent to incite or cause violence against a person based on race, color, religion, ancestry, national origin or disability are prohibited,” WFLA reported.

The Republican senator said targeted crimes against police should be on that list.

He stated:

After the events this weekend in California – and the terrible attack on our police officers in Tulsa earlier this summer – it’s more important than ever to protect our law enforcement officers and the individuals putting their lives on the line to protect our safety. With the hatred and unrest in this country, we must classify these careers as a protected class. Attacks against our peace officers are absolutely a hate crime because they are targeted based on their profession.

Two Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department (LASD) deputies were shot during an apparent ambush as they sat in their patrol vehicle in Compton on September 12, according to Breitbart News.

“Officials said that the two officers were conducting a routine patrol outside an L.A. Metro train station when they were attacked,” the report stated.

However, both deputies later made it through surgery and were expected to recover.

“In 2016, Louisiana’s governor signed what was called the ‘Blue Lives Matter’ bill. It made Louisiana the first state in the country to consider public safety officers a protected class under the hate-crime law,” according to WBNS.

Several states followed suit, including Texas and Kentucky.

“State lawmakers in Alabama and New York proposed similar legislation this year,” the report said.

Measures for next year’s legislative session may be filed beginning November 15 before the January 21 bill introduction deadline, according to the Oklahoma Senate press release.

“The 2021 legislative session will begin on Feb. 1,” it concluded.