Minnesota Session Laws - 1984, Regular Session

  

                         Laws of Minnesota 1984 

                        CHAPTER 445-H.F.No. 1651
           An act relating to crimes; including conservation 
          officers as peace officers authorized to enforce the 
          crime of fleeing a peace officer and related laws; 
          setting penalties for flight from a peace officer 
          under certain conditions; amending Minnesota Statutes 
          1982, sections 65B.605, subdivision 2; and 609.487, 
          subdivisions 2 and 4. 
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF MINNESOTA: 
    Section 1.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 65B.605, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2.  [PEACE OFFICER; DEFINITION.] For purposes of this 
section, "peace officer" means an employee of a political 
subdivision or state law enforcement agency who is licensed by 
the Minnesota board of peace officer standards and training, 
charged with the prevention and detection of crime and the 
enforcement of the general criminal laws of the state and who 
has the full power of arrest, and shall also include the 
Minnesota state patrol and Minnesota conservation officers.  
    Sec. 2.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 609.487, 
subdivision 2, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 2.  [PEACE OFFICER; DEFINITION.] For purposes of this 
section, "peace officer" means an employee of a political 
subdivision or state law enforcement agency who is licensed by 
the Minnesota board of peace officer standards and training, 
charged with the prevention and detection of crime and the 
enforcement of the general criminal laws of the state and who 
has the full power of arrest, and shall also include the 
Minnesota state patrol and Minnesota conservation officers. 
    Sec. 3.  Minnesota Statutes 1982, section 609.487, 
subdivision 4, is amended to read: 
    Subd. 4.  [FLEEING AN OFFICER; DEATH; BODILY INJURY.] 
Whoever flees or attempts to flee by means of a motor vehicle a 
peace officer who is acting in the lawful discharge of an 
official duty, and the perpetrator knows or should reasonably 
know the same to be a peace officer, and who in the course of 
fleeing causes the death of a human being not constituting 
murder or manslaughter or any bodily injury to any person other 
than himself may be sentenced to imprisonment as follows:  
    (a) If the course of fleeing results in death, to 
imprisonment for not more than ten years or to payment of a fine 
of not more than $10,000, or both; or 
    (b) If the course of fleeing results in great bodily harm, 
to imprisonment for not more than five years or to payment of a 
fine of not more than $5,000, or both; or 
    (c) If the course of fleeing results in substantial bodily 
harm, to imprisonment for not more than three years or to 
payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both. 
    Sec. 4.  [EFFECTIVE DATE.] 
    Sections 1 to 3 are effective the day following final 
enactment. 
    Approved April 23, 1984