Missouri senator pre-files K-9 justice law before 2024 session
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (KCTV) - Legislation pre-filed for the 2024 legislative session would create harsher penalties for people who injure or kill a K-9 officer.
The bill, known as “Max’s Law,” was pre-filed by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, and is named in honor of a St. Joseph Police K-9 officers killed in the line of duty in 2020.
Luetkemeyer’s bill increases penalties for assaulting a law enforcement animal from a Class C misdemeanor to a Class A. If the animal’s injuries need veterinary care, the crime gets raised to a Class E felony, or a class D felony if the animal dies.
“The sacrifices that these heroic animals make should be respected by the law,” said Luetkemeyer. “Right now, killing a law enforcement K-9 is punished as ordinary property damage. My goal is to ensure the punishment fits the crime.”
In a release shared Monday, Luetkemeyer said he hopes Max’s Law will receive the governor’s signature in 2024. It made it through the Missouri General Assembly during the 2023 legislative session.
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