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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2021 - 2022
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | March 2, 2021 11:22 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Jim Rigby |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Titan's Law |
| I will introduce a bill shortly providing for criminal penalties when a criminal injures or kills a police animal during the course of perpetrating a felony. The bill will be named “Titan’s Law” after a K-9 police dog who died in the line of duty last November. Titan, who served with the Johnstown Police Department since 2014, and his handler were called to help other Johnstown law enforcement officers search for suspects of a burglary at an old Goodwill warehouse. During the search, Titan fell through an unsecured open elevator shaft from the fourth floor of a five-story building, causing his death. When reviewing the possible charges against the burglars arising out of Titan’s death, prosecutors were astounded to find that the burglars faced minimal consequences. Current law provides for charges for the intentionally or knowingly killing or injuring a police animal, but does not provide for penalties where the animal is killed during the course of a felony. Titan’s Law will impose criminal penalties on offenders like these burglars – as well as on others whose criminal recklessness leads to the death or injury of a police animal. Please join me in sponsoring this legislation to protect Pennsylvania’s K-9 officers and other police animals. |
Introduced as HB940