Alabama law enforcement officers have been the target of gun violence recently.
Several officers have been shot or killed in Auburn, Birmingham, Mobile and Selma.
Now, there’s work to add protection to law enforcement officers and first responders. Under existing law, the murder of a first responder is not a capital offense. This bill would change that. First responders include, firefighters, paramedics and other emergency medical providers.
Heath Boackle, spokesperson for the FOP, said its time medics have an added protection.
"It’s always been a concern for us as law enforcement, public safety and even first responders. If you remember back a few years ago, there was a paramedic that was with the fire department in Birmingham. He was attacked. We’ve always tried to lobby for these types of things,” said Boackle.
The push goes a step further by making a murder of a law enforcement officer or first responder on duty automatically eligible for the death penalty by adding it as aggravated circumstance.