A Minnesota lawmaker plans to submit a new proposal during the next legislative session that would increase penalties for individuals who interfere with medical personnel and first responders rendering aid.
Rep. Pat Garofalo, R-Farmington said the Public Safety Personnel Protection Act will be the first bill he’ll submit when the next legislative session opens on March 8. Garofalo’s proposal would make it a felony for anyone to interfere with emergency medical services, even if the altercation does not involve a physical assault.
“Emergency responders should not have to fear for their safety when responding to a medical emergency,” Garofalo said. “Under this proposal, there will be zero tolerance for jeopardizing public safety. Zero.”
Under the current law, anyone who interferes with emergency responders or an ambulance crew can be charged with either a misdemeanor, gross misdemeanor or felony depending on the specific circumstances of the incident. Right now, in order to be charged with a felony, a person must act with force or cause bodily harm. Garofalo wants to get rid of those caveats and make all types of interference subject to a potential felony charge.
Spurred By Recent Case
The move to make first responder interference a felony even if no physical assault occurs comes on the heels of a high profile case here in the Twin Cities. Back on November 15, Jamar Clark was fatally shot by North Minneapolis police who were responding to an assault report. Officers said Clark was interfering with paramedics who were assisting the person he allegedly assaulted, and he was fatally shot during a struggle with police.The case has drawn national attention over the last few weeks, and while everyone is still trying to work out the exact details of what transpired, Garofalo wants to increase interference penalties to ensure people avoid interrupting critical emergency services.
Washington County Attorney Pete Orput said he believes the current statutes are sufficient, but he would be in favor of new language that better defines “interfering.” Garofalo plans to hammer out exact language to address all concerns prior to the March 8 session.
