CHARLESTON, W.Va. (WOWK) — West Virginia Governor Jim Justice has signed a bill into law that will provide more protections for first responders.
Senate Bill 490, or The Patrol Officer Cassie Marie Johnson Memorial Act, will stiffen penalties for anyone who willfully causes the death of any first responder. Anyone who commits such a crime will face 15 years to life in prison.
The bill is named in honor of Charleston Patrol Officer Johnson was shot in the line of duty while responding to a parking complaint on Dec. 1, 2020. She died of her injuries on Dec. 3, 2020.
At a Senate hearing on the bill in February, Cassie Johnson’s mother, Sheryl Johnson, spoke during the senate hearing on her daughter’s behalf and in support of the bill.
