Former sheriff’s deputy calls for harsher penalties for disarming an officer

State Rep. Mike Mueller today testified before the House Judiciary Committee in support of a bipartisan plan he spearheaded to increase the penalty for criminals who disarm or attempt to disarm a police officer.

“A criminal who commits unarmed robbery is punished more severely than one who disarms a police officer under current law,” said Mueller, a recently retired sheriff’s deputy. “That’s troubling and it needs to change.”

The legislation was inspired by the tragic death of Oak Park Police Officer Mason Samborski, a Howell native who was killed on Dec. 28, 2008, by a suspect who took his firearm and executed him after he became incapacitated during a struggle with the suspect.

Mueller also shared that suspects have attempted to disarm him on two separate occasions throughout his career.

House Bills 4315-16 would increase the maximum sentence for attempting to disarm a police officer from a five-year felony to a 10-year felony and ups the penalty for disarming a police officer from a 10-year felony to a 20-year felony.

Joining Mueller for testimony was Democratic Rep. David LaGrand, a former prosecutor from Grand Rapids, who partnered with him in sponsoring the legislation.

“It’s a straightforward plan that people across the aisle support,” said Mueller, of Linden. “We want to send a clear message that violence against police officers will not be tolerated and the Legislature has their backs.”

The plan remains under consideration by the House Judiciary Committee.