Covers Criminal offenses and public safety
Rhode Island bill would punish trying to disarm officers
The measure would make it a felony to try to take a peace officer’s weapon or radio, or an attorney general investigator’s communication device. It sets a penalty of up to five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
The proposal adds a new chapter to Rhode Island’s criminal code and takes effect upon passage. It covers firearms, less-lethal weapons and duty communication devices used by peace officers and attorney general investigators.
- The new felony would cover weapons and radios used in official duty.
- It applies to peace officers and attorney general investigators.
- Penalties would reach five years in prison and a $5,000 fine.
- The act would take effect upon passage.
- In Rhode Island, lawmakers want to draw a hard line around a split-second confrontation that can turn deadly: trying to take away the weapon or radio an officer is relying on in the moment
In Rhode Island, lawmakers want to draw a hard line around a split-second confrontation that can turn deadly: trying to take away the weapon or radio an officer is relying on in the moment. The proposal would add a new chapter to Title 11, the state’s criminal-offenses code, and make it a felony to knowingly remove or try to remove those tools from a peace officer or an investigator appointed by the attorney general.
What counts as disarming
The bill spells out three kinds of weapons: a firearm, a deadly weapon and a less-lethal weapon. That last category is broad enough to include blunt-impact, chemical and conducted-energy devices.
It also reaches mobile communication devices and radios used in official duty. In plain terms, trying to grab the thing that lets an officer call for help could trigger the same felony charge as going after the weapon itself.
The punishment on top
A person convicted under the proposal would face up to five years in prison, a $5,000 fine, or both. That makes the new offense a serious add-on in an already dangerous encounter.
The act would take effect upon passage. For officers and investigators, the practical effect is a clearer legal penalty for one specific move: trying to leave them without the tools they need to defend themselves and stay in contact.