Legislation Proposed To Increase Penalties For Attempted Murder Of Police Officers

By Ricardo Lopez, the Minnesota Reformer

January 14, 2021

State Sen. John Jasinski, R-Faribault, on Thursday introduced legislation to increase penalties for injuring police officers.

“This is a common sense pro-public-safety bill that treats law enforcement officers with the respect they deserve,” Jasinski said.

State Rep. John Petersburg, R-Waseca, the House sponsor of the bill, said the legislation was inspired by Arik Matson, the Waseca police officer who was nearly killed a year ago while on a call of a suspicious person.

Tyler Janovsky, the man who shot Matson and fired at other officers, was sentenced to 35 years in prison.

Matson attended a news conference for the bill, joined by his wife, Megan. She spoke with Arik beside her and said she hoped that if another officer’s family endures what they experienced this past year, they “will have better justice than what was offered to us.”

Waseca County Attorney Rachel Cornelius said penalties for people who gravely injure officers should be increased. Under the bill, those convicted of attempted murder or gravely injuring an officer could be sentenced to life in prison with early release only after 30 years imprisonment.

Cornelius said current sentencing guidelines for attempted first-degree murder of a police officer is 20 years imprisonment and allows for early parole after 14 years.

The Minnesota Reformer is an independent, nonprofit news organization dedicated to keeping Minnesotans informed and unearthing stories other outlets can’t or won’t tell..