Iowa Attorney General Brenna Bird on Thursday announced that she is proposing a law change to heighten penalties for assaults against law enforcement officers and first responders. Assaults against law enforcement reached a national 10-year high in 2023.
“No one should be attacked for doing their job, especially when their job is to keep us safe,” said Attorney General Bird. “Our law enforcement and first responders heroes deserve our respect and appreciation. But instead, we have seen an increase in assaults on our law enforcement, like violent attacks or spitting on an officer. This bill ensures that any criminal who assaults a law enforcement hero gets the penalty they deserve.”
The bill will raise penalties for assaults on law enforcement and first responders:
- From a “D” felony to a “C” felony when the assault involves a dangerous weapon or is meant to inflict a serious injury.
- From an aggravated misdemeanor to a “D” felony when the assault causes bodily injury.
- From a serious misdemeanor to an aggravated misdemeanor for all other assaults, with a mandatory minimum sentence of 7 days in jail.
- The bill also adds spitting on law enforcement, first responders, or corrections officers as a punishable assault.
