New York State Senate Bill Would Make It a Felony to "Annoy" a Cop
I got my black shirt on. I got my black gloves on. I got my ski mask on. This shit's been too long. COP ANNOYER, better you than me! COP ANNOYER, fuck police tranquility!
...is a song Body Count could be singing if the New York State Senate gets its way. And also if Ice T quit Law and Order, and called up Ernie C, and was like, "let's rewrite 'Cop Killer.'"
A bill passed yesterday by that august legislative body would criminalize "aggravated harassment" of a police officer—making it a felony to, in the words of the accompanying press release, "harass, annoy, or threaten a police officer while on duty."
Obviously, it's not just annoying a police officer that's a felony. You have to annoy a cop, and also "take any type of physical action to try to intimidate" him. It's lucky that we can trust cops to provide truthful and accurate witness testimony, because otherwise this law could be used to arrest and convict people on a very thin pretext!
Having passed the Senate, the bill goes to the New York Assembly, where it will, with any luck die. When it does, we should all annoy a cop in celebration.