After months of legislative debate, Kansas has enacted Bane’s Law, significantly increasing penalties for harming or killing police dogs.
The Kansas Fraternal Order of Police signed the Police Dog Protection Act, named after Bane, a Sedgwick County service dog killed in the line of duty last year. Bane was fatally injured while trying to apprehend a fugitive, Kaylon Kirkwood, who has been charged with strangling the dog during the confrontation.
“Those dogs are important,” said Dan Hawkins, Speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives. “They are partners of law enforcement, so I consider them a part of law enforcement. If you kill a law enforcement officer, it’s a capital crime; killing a K9 should be at least a felony.”
Under Bane’s Law, harming a police dog will now be classified as a felony, carrying a mandatory minimum sentence of 90 days in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Governor Laura Kelly initially vetoed the bill, but it was subsequently passed by a supermajority in both the House and Senate, overriding the veto. Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Deputy Tyler Brooks, who was Bane’s handler, expressed relief at the law’s passage.
“It was a big relief when I heard it passed with a two-thirds supermajority; we were a little nervous about getting the necessary votes,” said Brooks.
Now training with a new police service dog named Chase, Deputy Brooks highlighted the rarity of such incidents but emphasized the importance of having legal protections in place.
“Going forward, I’m not sure how often this will come into play,” Brooks said. “We hope never, but having it in place in case something does happen is a big win for us.”
Bane’s Law will officially take effect on July 1.