Kansas could soon have harsher penalties for anyone who kills a police animal after lawmakers voted Tuesday on a bill that was introduced after a wanted man ran from police and hid in a storm drain where he then strangled Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office K-9 deputy Bane. Bane, an 8-year-old Belgian Malinois, died at the scene of the Nov. 16 police standoff in southeast Wichita. The state House approved HB 2583 115-6 on Tuesday. It is now up to Gov. Laura Kelly to sign or veto the bill. The current punishment for killing or harming a police dog ranges from 30 days or up to a year in prison and a fine between $500 to $5,000. If the measure passes, a first-time offender who disables or kills a police horse or dog, an arson dog, game warden’s dog or a search-and-rescue dog could see a prison sentence of 38-43 months; it’s between 55-61 months if the animal is killed while the suspect is trying to elude police. Additionally, they would face a minimum of a $10,000 fine and possible restitution.
Source: Local News | Wichita Eagle
