House Passes Legislation to Protect Police Officers

By Beth Baumann

On Thursday, the House of Representatives voted in favor of House Resolution 115, also known as the Thin Blue Line Act. The bill expands the aggravating factors of a police officers death, which could carry a death sentence in federal cases.

Currently, the killing of a federal law enforcement officer is cause for the death penalty. The Thin Blue Line Act extends the parameters to local and state law enforcement officers and first responders.

“Every day, federal, state, and local law enforcement officers around the country protect their fellow citizens from harm, keep the peace, and carry out justice. They serve every day, often with little to no recognition or support,” Judiciary Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA) said in a statement. “From Seattle to Dallas to New York City, in recent years, police officers have laid down their lives in the service of their communities. Sadly, 50 police officers have died in the line of duty already this year.”

The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) came out against the legislation, saying it’s “unnecessary, counterproductive to improving law enforcement and community relations, and unlikely to prevent future violence against police.”

The ACLU submitted a letter to Chairman Goodlatte and Rep. Conyers conveying …Read the Rest

Source:: Bearing Arms