Washington D.C. – Idaho senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch helped introduce a bill to the Senate that would make it a federal crime to assault first responders.
The bill comes in the wake of the , when firefighters were shot at while responding to a brush fire in Coeur d’Alene, resulting in the deaths of two Idaho firefighters and another with severe injuries.
The bill is called the Graham Hoffman Act, named after Graham Hoffman, a paramedic from Kansas City who was attacked and killed in the line of duty.
The bill would establish a sentence of up to ten years in prison and an appropriate fine for an assault on first responders, and a sentence of any amount of year or life in prison plus an appropriate fine if the first responder is killed or if the incident involved kidnapping, an attempt to kill or plan to kill the first responder.
Firefighters, law enforcement officers, members of rescue squads, paramedics and ambulance crews are listed as first responders in the bill.
“The devastating loss of Idaho firefighters John Morrison and Frank Harwood and severe injury of David Tysdal during a premeditated, deadly ambush last month in Coeur d’Alene remind us of the real dangers and sacrifices first responders make every day to protect our families and communities,” Crapo said. “Their loss impels us to strengthen the law and deter further violence to ensure justice is fully meted on any individual who attacks our law enforcement or first responders.”
“Last month’s evil attack on first responders in north Idaho is a stark reminder of the dangers our brave men and women in uniform face every day,” said Risch. “The Graham Hoffman Act is commonsense legislation to properly punish those who assault the men and women who keep our communities safe. Vicki and I continue to pray for the victims of the north Idaho ambush, their loved ones and all affected by this reprehensible act.”
The Idaho senators are sponsoring the bill alongside Missouri Senator John Hawley, Florida Senator Ashley Moody, Texas Senator Ted Crus, Tennessee Senator Bill Hagerty and New Hampshire Senator Maggie Hasson.
The text of the bill, published on Senator Hassan’s website, can be found here.
