(MN Sen. John Hoffman – image: MN Senate)
Legislation passed in recent days by the Minnesota Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee would change the penalty of impersonating a peace officer from a simple misdemeanor to a felony.
State Senator John Hoffman of Champlin says last summer on the same night as the fatal attacks on House Speaker Emerita Melissa Hortman and her husband, he and his family experienced a worst case scenario of officer impersonation when he and his wife were shot multiple times, and his daughter had a gun pointed in her face…
“…by an individual who looked like a police officer, had a vehicle that looked like a police vehicle, yelled “this is police,” had his license plate that said police on it, was wearing everything you think a police officer is. But you know what mister chair, he was not a police officer.”
Hoffman said residents of Minnesota, as well as the state’s sworn law enforcement officers and public safety professionals deserve laws that will help deter imposters…
“This bill helps reinforce trust in legitimate law enforcement officers in our state, and sends a clear signal to people that they will face stiff and severe consequences if they violate that trust.”
Hoffman said it is only because of the care and professionalism of legitimate officers and first responders on the night he and his family were attacked that they survived…
“Thank God for the real police officers who were first to come to my house as I lay on the floor in my kitchen and my wife lay next to me. And the EMTs that came with them. They saved our life.”
The committee passed the proposed bill unanimously, along with a bill that would prohibit the re-sale of former public safety vehicles unless those vehicles are stripped of equipment and any markings that could mislead the public into thinking that the vehicle was still used for a law enforcement or public safety purpose.
Senator John Hoffman represents Senate District 34 that includes some precincts in the City of Dayton.
(content: in part, courtesy MNN)
