Golden Cracks Down On Assault Of Police Officers And Medical Personnel

A series of bills, introduced by Senator Marty Golden to create better protections for law enforcement officers and emergency medical service personnel, were approved by the New York State Senate on Tuesday.

The first bill creates a new crime for the aggravated assault of a police or peace officer when a person is aided by two or more people at a protest. This amendment to the penal law would ensure further protection for officers who are assigned to monitor demonstrations, and would punish those who use a means of peaceful protest as an opportunity to assault police or peace officers.

“Recent incidents throughout New York and the United States of America highlight the need for government to adopt legislation that better protects our men and women in blue,” said Golden. “As a former officer of the NYPD, I can attest to the danger that our officers face each and every day, and that is why I have championed this bill to further keep our officers safe in the line of duty.”

The second law would establish stronger protections for emergency medical service paramedics and technicians who are injured while performing their assigned duties. The legislation seeks to classify such criminal activity as a class D violent felony offense.

“Emergency medical service paramedics and technicians are required to treat patients under extremely dangerous and stressful conditions. This legislation guarantees that the same protections are in place to keep these first responders safe in the performance of their work,” said Golden.

Finally, the State Senate passed a law establishing the blue alert system in New York State to aid in the apprehension of any individuals suspected of killing or seriously wounding any law enforcement officer. President Barack Obama recently signed the National Blue Alert Act into law. This legislation will assist in the coordination between the State and Federal government as it relates to apprehending those who injure or kill police officers.

This legislation comes several months after the execution-style shooting of Detectives Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu on December 20. Detective Liu was from Gravesend and his funeral brought thousands of NYPD officers to the streets of Dyker Heights on January 5.