Police Horse Protection Laws

Minnesota Statutes 2001, Table of Chapters 

Table of contents for Chapter 609


     609.597 Assaulting or harming a police horse; penalties. 

    Subdivision 1.    Definition.  As used in this section, 
 "police horse" means a horse that has been trained for crowd 
 control and other law enforcement purposes and is used to assist 
 peace officers in the performance of their official duties. 

    Subd. 2.    Crime.  Whoever assaults or intentionally 
 harms a police horse while the horse is being used or maintained 
 for use by a law enforcement agency is guilty of a crime and may 
 be sentenced as provided in subdivision 3. 

    Subd. 3.    Penalties.  A person convicted of violating 
 subdivision 2 may be sentenced as follows: 

    (1) if a peace officer, or any other person suffers great 
 bodily harm or death as a result of the violation, the person 
 may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than five years or 
 to payment of a fine of not more than $10,000, or both; 

    (2) if the police horse suffers death or great bodily harm 
 as a result of the violation, or if a peace officer suffers 
 demonstrable bodily harm as a result of the violation, the 
 person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two 
 years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both; 

    (3) if the police horse suffers demonstrable bodily harm as 
 a result of the violation, the person may be sentenced to 
 imprisonment for not more than one year and one day or to 
 payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both; 

    (4) if a peace officer is involuntarily unseated from the 
 police horse or any person, other than the peace officer, 
 suffers demonstrable bodily harm as a result of the violation, 
 the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than 
 one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or 
 both; 

    (5) if a violation other than one described in clauses (1) 
 to (4) occurs, the person may be sentenced to imprisonment for 
 not more than 90 days or to payment of a fine of not more than 
 $700, or both. 

    HIST: 1995 c 179 s 1