NY state bill would make assaulting police officers a hate crime

A New York state lawmaker introduced a bill Thursday that would make assaulting a police officer a hate crime.

{mosads}If the “Blue Lives Matter” bill passes, assaulting a police officer would be increased one level on the felony scale and would carry with it a more severe punishment, Buzzfeed News reported.

“The impetus for this bill is a climate in this country, in this state, where police officers have been targeted merely because they wear the uniform,” New York state Assemblyman Ronald Castorina — who introduced the bill — said at a press conference Thursday, according to Buzzfeed.

“We need to do something to deter people from assaulting New York City police officers, from assaulting police officers throughout the state of New York,” he added.

Castorina said he thinks the bill “should be supported by every member of the assembly — Democrats, Republicans.” He said other representatives had contacted him about co-sponsoring the bill.

“This bill is not political,” he said.

“I think it’s a commonsense piece of legislation that everybody can congeal around and support.”

He noted the bill is meant to “protect police officers from assault” and is not “targeting the Black Lives Matter movement.”

Louisiana this week became the first state to enact a “Blue Lives Matter” law, and similar bills have been introduced in several states across the country including Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas and Florida.