The criminal penalties for killing an Indiana police dog could soon get tougher.
The House Courts and Criminal Code Committee voted 12-1 on Wednesday to reclassify the crime of killing a law enforcement animal as a Level 5 felony, one level higher than its current classification as a Level 6 felony.
A Level 5 felony carries a sentence of one to six years in a state prison, while any time behind bars associated with a Level 6 felony conviction, up to a maximum of two and a half years, is generally served in a county jail will.
House Bill 1306 would also allow judges to consider the death of a law enforcement animal as an aggravating factor when deciding an appropriate sentence for any crime involved.
When Hammond Mayor Tom McDermott watched the police dog Aros jump in the air, he described the experience as a “fur rocket” being fired at him.
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State Assemblyman Chris Jeter, R-Fishers, said he was inspired to propose an increase in the sentence after seeing community support for his hometown police force in 2019 when a drunk driving suspect was pursued by officers on foot after he was shot from his vehicle and killed K-9 officer Harlej (pronounced Harley) just before the police dog would have overpowered the suspect.
“The value our citizens place on these K-9s is amazing,” Jeter said. “I think this crime is more suitable for a level 5 crime.”
According to the bipartisan Legislative Services Agency, only two people have been convicted of killing a police animal in Indiana since 2013. A total of 11 Hoosier Police K-9s have been killed on the job since 2000.
State Rep. Matt Pierce, D-Bloomington, the only committee member opposed to the measure, said he was concerned if lawmakers further tightened penalties for certain crimes that attract public attention would once again leave the Indiana penal code hopeless become disproportionate and require another major overhaul like the one that was completed nearly a decade ago.
“Wow man. What a scene. You can’t imagine what we’re seeing out here on any given day,” said Hobart Patrol Officer Tommie Tatum.
Jerry Davis, The Times
Zach Stock of the Indiana Public Defender Council also found that another Level 5 crime is reckless homicide. So if this proposal becomes law, killing a lawman would legally be tantamount to the death of a human being.
In response, Jeter said that stealing over $50,000 is also a Level 5 felony. He said the value of a police dog, including its extensive training, is well over $50,000, so it’s only fair that killing a police animal carries at least the same penalty as stealing one.
The measure next goes to the whole House for further consideration and a decision to bring it to the Senate.
