§34.2. Battery of a police officer

A.(1) Battery of a police officer is a battery committed without the consent of the victim when the offender has reasonable grounds to believe the victim is a police officer acting in the performance of his duty.

(2) For purposes of this Section, "police officer" shall include commissioned police officers, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, marshals, deputy marshals, correctional officers, federal law enforcement officers, constables, wildlife enforcement agents, state park wardens, and probation and parole officers.

(3) For purposes of this Section, "battery of a police officer" includes the use of force or violence upon the person of the police officer by throwing feces, urine, blood, saliva, or any form of human waste by an offender while the offender is incarcerated by a court of law and is being detained in any jail, prison, correctional facility, juvenile institution, temporary holding center, halfway house, or detention facility.

B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of battery of a police officer shall be fined not more than five hundred dollars and imprisoned not less than fifteen days nor more than six months without benefit of suspension of sentence.

(2) If at the time of the commission of the offense the offender is under the jurisdiction and legal custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or is being detained in any jail, prison, correctional facility, juvenile institution, temporary holding center, halfway house, or detention facility, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars and imprisoned with or without hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence for not less than one year nor more than five years. Such sentence shall be consecutive to any other sentence imposed for violation of the provisions of any state criminal law.

(3) If the battery produces an injury that requires medical attention, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both. At least thirty days of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.

C. The definition of a "police officer" as provided in Paragraph (A)(2) of this Section shall be strictly construed solely for the purposes of this Section and shall not be construed as granting the authority to any agency not defined as a "peace officer" pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 40:2402 to make arrests, perform search and seizures, execute criminal warrants, prevent and detect crime, and enforce the laws of this state.

Added by Acts 1981, No. 258, §1. Amended by Acts 1982, No. 594, §1; Acts 1984, No. 871, §1; Acts 1989, No. 206, §1; Acts 1990, No. 84, §1; Acts 1991, No. 132, §1; Acts 1993, No. 438, §1; Acts 1994, 3rd Ex. Sess., No. 16, §1; Acts 1997, No. 486, §1; Acts 1999, No. 338, §1; Acts 1999, No. 872, §1; Acts 2001, No. 944, §4; Acts 2007, No. 52, §1, eff. June 18, 2007; Acts 2012, No. 174, §1.