GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF NORTH CAROLINA

SESSION 1997

S	1 

SENATE BILL 542

Short Title:  Taunt Police Animal.	(Public)

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Sponsors: Senator Shaw of Guilford.

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Referred to:  Judiciary.

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March 27, 1997

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
AN ACT TO PROVIDE THAT IT IS A CLASS 1 MISDEMEANOR TO TAUNT A LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY ANIMAL.
The General Assembly of North Carolina enacts:
Section 1.  G.S. 14-163.1 reads as rewritten:
"§ 14-163.1.  Injuring, maiming, killing, or taunting a law-enforcement agency animal.
(a)	Any person who knows or has reason to know that an animal is used for law-enforcement purposes such as investigation, detection of narcotics or explosives, or crowd control, by any law-enforcement agency and who willfully and not in self defense, causes serious injury to, maims, or kills that animal is guilty of a Class I felony. 
(b)	Unless the conduct is covered by another provision of law providing greater punishment, any person who knows or has reason to know that an animal is used for law-enforcement purposes such as investigation, detection of narcotics or explosives, or crowd control, by any law-enforcement agency and who willfully and maliciously taunts, torments, teases, beats, kicks, or strikes that animal is guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor."
Section 2.  This act becomes effective December 1, 1997, and applies to offenses committed on or after that date.