CHARLESTON, WV (LOOTPRESS) – A bill filed for introduction in the House on Friday would make an attack on a K-9 officer a felony offense.
The bill would amend and reenact §61-2-10b of the Code of West Virginia as pertaining to the definitions of “police service canine” and “law enforcement officer.”
Specifically, House Bill 3362 revises the definition of a law enforcement officer to include police service canines.
The bill, the lead sponsor of which is Delegate Clay Riley (R-Harrison, 072), was introduced to the House Judiciary Committee on Friday, and is currently pending.
“Police service canine,” which in the context of House Bill 3362 would constitute an officer of the law, is identified by the proposed legislation as “any dog used by a law enforcement agency and handled by a law enforcement officer, as defined in §30-29-1 of this code, which is specially trained for law enforcement work or is contracted to assist a law enforcement agency in the performance of law enforcement duties.”
The House Judiciary Committee is currently in session at the time of writing on Monday.
Additional LOOTPRESS coverage for the ongoing legislative sessions can be found here.
