Head of fallen officers org calls for using domestic terror laws to prosecute inciters of anti-cop violence

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The head of an organization supporting families of police officers killed in the line of duty called on prosecutors to use domestic terrorism laws to go after those who cause violence against police officers.

At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on Tuesday that focused on protecting law enforcement officials, National Fallen Officer Foundation president Sgt. Demetrick "Tre" Pennie spoke out against attacks on police officers, stating that existing laws should be used to charge those responsible with serious crimes.

"I think we need to start holding individuals accountable, which we have not done a great job of -- prosecuting radical groups and people that incite violence against police officers using what we have on the books already, domestic terrorism policy," Pennie said.

Pennie referred specifically to 18 U.S.C. § 2331.

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"The DOJ tells us that individuals that use force and intimidation for the purposes of changing governmental policy or acting in line with domestic terrorism. OK, so why don't we have penalties for those individuals that do that?"

Pennie's main point was that "we cannot under any circumstance allow attacks on our police officers," regardless of whether the perpetrators are acting in protest against police brutality. 

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In fact, Pennie pushed back against the idea that police brutality is particularly prevalent in the U.S., arguing that many times when an officer is accused of police brutality, court proceedings reveal that he or she acted properly and within the guidelines of the National Institute of Justice.

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"It happens all the time, but a lot of times when they're adjudicated in court, they come out that they did follow the NIJ use of force continuum and these officers are acquitted and the case goes away," he said.