Republicans put forth bill to make sure cop killers get the death penalty or life in prison

House and Senate Republicans are teaming up to introduce a bill that would make killing a federal law enforcement officer punishable by death or life in prison.

Rep. Mike Garcia, R-Calif., and Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., present Sgt. Steve Owen Defending Our Defenders Act, first viewed by DailyMail.com, which would make killing a state, local or federal police officer a felony warranting the death penalty or life without parole if certain circumstances aggravating factors are met.

The killing of a federal law enforcement officer is already considered a factor in the death penalty, but the new bill would build on current law to include state and local officers and expand factors to be considered by a jury for the death penalty.

The bill is named after the late Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Steve Owen, who lived in the Garcia neighborhood and was killed in the line of duty in 2016

The bill may include state and local officials through rules allowing the federal government to exercise jurisdiction over crimes that cross state lines – if the defendant travels interstate, uses a weapon that traveled interstate or uses any sort of interstate communications related to the crime, he would be eligible for the death penalty or life without the possibility of parole under the law.

The legislation also lists new “aggravating factors” that trigger the sentence, including ambushing an officer, prior statements that encourage violence against an officer, any affiliation with anarchist groups or incitement to violence, occurrence during an anti-police demonstration or previous threats of violence against an officer.

The bill is named after the late Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Sgt. Steve Owen, who lived in the Garcia neighborhood and was killed in the line of duty in 2016.

The 53-year-old father of three was shot five times outside an apartment complex on October 5, 2016 while responding to a burglary call in Lancaster, California. He had been with the force for 29 years.

Owen’s killer, Trenton Lovell, was on parole at the time he committed the murder. He was sentenced to life without parole after pleading guilty to Owen’s murder and a host of other crimes.

House and Senate Republicans are teaming up to introduce a bill that would make the killing of a federal law enforcement officer punishable by death or life in prison

Owen’s wife, Tania, was Garcia’s guest at this year’s State of the Union.

Garcia said he introduced the bill after anti-police protests in recent years.

“The Defund the Police movement and the soft policies of the far left have severely crippled the ability of police officers to deal with skyrocketing crime rates and put these brave men and women in greater danger than ever before,” Garcia said in a statement. . “We must do more to care for our heroic law enforcement officers who put their lives on the line to keep our communities safe.”

“An attack on an officer is an attack on our democracy, and these criminals must be prosecuted to the full extent of the law,” Cotton said. “This bill will subject those who murder police officers to the sentence they deserve, life in prison or the death penalty.”

The bill comes after Congress voted to overturn Washington, D.C.’s new crime laws and President Biden signaled he would sign such a bill into law in a stunning rebuke from the City Council and liberal push for DC’s autonomy and statehood.

Citywide legislation would eliminate mandatory minimum sentences and lower maximum sentences for crimes such as carjackings and robbery. It also allows almost all misdemeanor charges the right to a jury trial.