Montgomery, AL – Alabamians who take the weapon of a police or corrections officer would be charged with a felony under a bill passed by the state Senate on Tuesday.
The proposal's sponsor says currently people who take an officer's weapon can be charged with anything from disorderly conduct to attempted murder. Florence Democratic Sen. Tammy Irons says the measure created stringent criteria for which offenders will be charged with a class C felony. It passed the Senate without opposition.
Anybody convicted of disarming a police or corrections officer would be subject to between 10 and 20 years in jail, as well as a fine of up to $5,000.
The bill must be approved by the Alabama House of Representatives and signed by the governor before becoming a law.
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