Skip to main content Skip to office menu Skip to footer
Capital IconMinnesota Legislature

Protecting law enforcement help

Published (3/4/2011)
By Mike Cook
Share on: 



Last summer a driver in McLeod County failed to follow the directive given by a uniformed member of the sheriff department’s mounted posse to a proper parking location. The driver drove in such a way that one mounted posse member had to take evasive action so as not to be hit, but the vehicle contacted the horse of another member.

“The incident brought to light the question of what charges could be brought against the driver given the language and the current assaulting or harming a police horse statute,” said Rep. Ron Shimanski (R-Silver Lake). “The definition of a police horse in current statute seems to require the horse be used or ridden by a peace officer. In outstate Minnesota, the majority, if not all members, of sheriff’s mounted posses, mounted patrols and all similar organizations are staffed primarily by volunteer personnel.”

Because it was a volunteer on the horse, and not a licensed peace officer, the McLeod County Attorney’s Office said the statute did not apply.

Sponsored by Shimanski, HF506 would add in statute the definition of a law enforcement assistant and make it a gross misdemeanor to assault such a person or animal “while the law enforcement assistant is operating at the direction of, under the control of, or on behalf of a peace officer or a law enforcement agency.”

Approved March 3 by the House Public Safety and Crime Prevention Policy and Finance Committee on a split-voice vote, the bill awaits action by the House Judiciary Policy and Finance Committee. A companion, SF301, sponsored by Sen. Scott Newman (R-Hutchinson), awaits action by the Senate Judiciary and Public Safety Committee.

We are volunteers with our own horses who provide assistance for things like search and rescue, outreach and crowd control, said Ken Levinson, a member of the Carver County Sheriff’s Mounted Posse. Acting as a representative of the sheriff’s office, he assumed members were entitled the same protections as law enforcement.

DFL members raised a number of concerns, including some of the language being too vague about whom exactly is a law enforcement assistant, and that protection like this does not exist for reserve officers.

Rep. Sheldon Johnson (DFL-St. Paul) suggested the bill be held over until some definitions are clarified; however, Shimanski and supporters vowed to address the concerns and provide an amendment at the bill’s next stop.

Session Weekly More...


Session Weekly Home



Related Stories


Keeping the courts adequately funded
Public safety finance law doesn’t gut Human Rights Department
(view full story) Published 8/11/2011

Governor vetoes public safety bill
At about $1.8 billion in spending, no cuts to courts were proposed
(view full story) Published 7/15/2011

DNA - It’s all in the family
Familial DNA could help solve criminal cases, but at what cost?
(view full story) Published 4/8/2011

Creating a ‘Safe Harbor’
Wide-ranging support for bill to decriminalize juveniles exploited by prostitution
(view full story) Published 4/1/2011

Two omnibus bills merged into one
DFL legislators oppose cuts to Department of Human Rights, Civil Legal Services
(view full story) Published 4/1/2011

Safety versus savings
Home fire sprinklers would be costly, but can save lives
(view full story) Published 3/4/2011

Minnesota Index: State corrections
Figures and statistics on Minnesota's correctional system
(view full story) Published 2/25/2011

How young is too young?
Committee debates age for youth being charged as an adult in certain cases
(view full story) Published 2/18/2011