NY bill would make assaulting a cop a hate crime

NEW YORK (FOX 5 NEWS) - Violence against police officers prompted a New York state lawmaker to draft a bill that would make it a hate crime to assault a police officer anywhere in New York.

It comes after recent murders of cops in Dallas and Baton Rouge. Those who support it say the measure is needed to further deter people from attacking men and women in blue.

The murders of five police officers in Dallas is just one of the reasons new York State Assembly Member Ronald Castorina plans to introduce a bill to make assaulting a police officer a hate crime. 

By classifying assaulting a police officer as a hate crime, offenders would face stiffer punishment than they do now.

The president of Blue Lives Matter also spoke showing his support. Blue Lives Matter was formed in 2014 after NYPD Officer Rafael Ramos and Officer Wenjian Liu were ambushed and murdered.

The president of the police union urged lawmakers to act.

Lawmakers say last year 48,000 police officers were assaulted nationwide; about 9 percent of all cops.

This bill means police officers would also be a protected class. The current state hate crime law covers race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion. The penalties for assaulting a cop as we said would also increase.