From The Trussville Tribune staff reports
MONTGOMERY — Alabama State Auditor Jim Zeigler said on Monday that he had reached out to President Donald Trump and asked the president to add a mandate for the death penalty for anyone killing a law enforcement officer to his State of the Union address on Tuesday.
Two Alabama police officers have been killed in the line of duty in recent weeks. Birmingham Police Sgt. Wytasha Carter was gunned down on Jan. 13 during a burglary investigation. A week later, on Jan. 20, Mobile Police Officer Sean Tuder was killed while on duty.
Tuder was the second Mobile police officer killed in the line of duty in the last year.
Zeigler said he had emailed the president and contacts within the Trump administration asking that the punishment for those convicted of killing police be enhanced.
“We need an ‘express lane’ for executions such as Texas has – maybe stronger,” Zeigler said in a statement. “We need to stop these 20- to 30-year delays in executions at taxpayer expense. Justice delayed is justice denied. These potential killers are not deterred by what may happen to them in 30 years. They are thinking of instant gratification in the next 30 minutes – or 30 seconds.”
In his statement, Zeigler was specific about the type of execution he would like to see for those convicted of murdering a law enforcement official.
“It would be more of a deterrent to the killing of officers if would-be killers witnessed others hanging in the public square,” Zeigler said. “Nothing else makes them think. Maybe hanging would.”
According to Zeigler, federal law already calls for the death penalty for anyone convicted of murdering a law enforcement official if the official is working with federal agents. He said the law should be expanded to include the murder of all law enforcement officials.