Florida senator files bill to triple prison time for harming police K-9s

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. - Less than two months after K-9 Fang with the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office was shot and killed in the line of duty, state Sen. Aaron Bean has followed through with his promise to propose new legislation to toughen the penalty for those who commit such crimes.

Currently in Florida, killing a police dog is a third-degree felony -- which carries a sentence of up to five years in prison. When the I-TEAM told this to Bean following Fang's death, the Republican senator from Jacksonville vowed to try and change the law.

READ: 17-year-old accused of killing K-9 Fang

"It's the Fang Memorial Bill, which will hold people accountable for murdering a police dog," Bean told the I-TEAM.

Bean filed the bill Tuesday which, if it passes, would make harming a police, fire or search and rescue dog in the state of Florida a second-degree felony -- tripling the maximum prison sentence to up to 15 years. A companion bill was filed in the House by state Rep. Josie Tomkow and state Rep. Cord Byrd.