The Murder of First Responder Statutes

• In Event: Responding to Extremism and Terrorism

Abstract

Over the past 10 years, various states and the federal government have stiffened criminal legal penalties for those who intentionally kill police officers. For example, in states like West Virginia, Ohio, Kentucky, and Mississippi, legislators have passed new laws that increase penalties for those convicted of murdering first responders with targeted intent. This Article explores the contours of this new legislation, including the supposed purposes undergirding the development of such statutes and the expansive definitions designed to better protect first responders, and the implications of these criminal legal provisions around the country.

Author

• Ilana Friedman, University of Kentucky J. David Rosenberg College of Law