00:04 - Good afternoon everyone.

00:06 - Good afternoon.

00:07 - Thank you for joining us.

00:09 - The Pennsylvania Senate acted swiftly

00:12 - today, swiftly today to strengthen penalties for individuals

00:19 - who attempt to murder our law enforcement officers.

00:24 - This action is in recognition

00:27 - of the courage, bravery

00:30 - and resilience of Detective Kyle Gilmartin,

00:35 - and it ensures that no other officer

00:38 - or their family will ever face the possibility

00:42 - of a convicted criminal getting off with a slap

00:47 - on the wrist sentence for trying to kill a police officer.

00:52 - The punishment will now fit the crime.

00:57 - Kyle, we honor you.

00:59 - Your wife, Lindsey and your family for showing all of us

01:03 - how to stand in the face of such incredible adversity.

01:09 - You are our hero.

01:12 - I want to thank my colleagues for joining me today

01:16 - and my Co-prime sponsor, Senator Rosemary Brown,

01:20 - as well as members of the law enforcement

01:22 - community who are joining us today, standing in solidarity

01:28 - on behalf of Detective Gil Martin.

01:32 - I also want to recognize and thank Lackawanna County District.

01:36 - Attorney Brian Gallagher for his tremendous work on this issue.

01:42 - He brought it before us in February,

01:45 - and we've acted, as I mentioned, swiftly.

01:48 - We are here today in May.

01:50 - I want to thank all of our local district attorneys from northeastern Pennsylvania

01:55 - who are joining us, Sam Dolch,

01:58 - Joe Peters, AG Howe and Ray Tonkin.

02:02 - I'd like to thank the Fraternal Order of Police, State Lodge president Joe Regan.

02:08 - Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, Steve politician.

02:12 - And also joining us from the city of Scranton,

02:15 - Deputy Chief Joe Lafferty and Detective Jason Hiller.

02:21 - Both of these men were in the vehicle with Kyle.

02:26 - And Jason mentioned to me when I met him a few weeks ago

02:30 - in Scranton, that the prospect that an individual

02:34 - could be back out on the street, potentially running into

02:37 - he and his family in the community, was equally troubling.

02:41 - That sent a strong message to me as well, knowing that

02:45 - the people who stood beside Kyle are strongly in support of this measure.

02:51 - While we all know the dangers our police face every day,

02:55 - we never can walk in their shoes and cannot imagine

03:00 - the difficult situations they face

03:02 - when protecting our communities and our families.

03:06 - Individuals who callously take action

03:09 - with the intent of ending an officer's life

03:13 - must be held accountable for their horrific actions.

03:18 - Remarkably, Pennsylvania law imposes a mandatory minimum law

03:23 - for assault of a law enforcement officer

03:26 - but not attempted murder,

03:28 - with no mandatory minimum on the books.

03:31 - A judge could impose a sentence for that offense based on our sentencing guidelines

03:37 - currently recommended as low as low as seven years.

03:42 - And when, detective, when D.A.

03:46 - Gallagher brought it to my attention, I was absolutely stunned to learn

03:50 - that was a potential sentence.

03:52 - Today, we say that is unacceptable.

03:55 - Senate bill 1284 creates a new mandatory minimum

04:00 - and an increased maximum to life

04:03 - in prison for the attempt, conspiracy and solicitation

04:08 - to commit murder of a law enforcement officer.

04:11 - Tragically, the need for this was brought, as I mentioned, in February.

04:19 - And as I think about what.

04:20 - Kyle Gilmartin went through in 2024, he survived.

04:26 - He is here by the grace of God, to be with us today.

04:30 - It is a testament to his faith,

04:33 - his tenacity and his determination.

04:36 - And as his story continues to unfold

04:39 - and his family continues to move forward.

04:42 - He can know that we are writing

04:45 - a wrong and correcting it for the future.

04:48 - This roadblock was discovered during sentencing,

04:52 - and we are closing that loophole and that gap,

04:55 - and we are assuring that the punishment

04:59 - is commensurate with the harm.

05:01 - I'm pleased we were able to address this injustice.

05:05 - This bill ensure sentencing reflects the gravity of those crimes.

05:10 - I'm honored to be here today, and I'd like to introduce

05:14 - our next speaker, who will be Senator Rosemary Brown of Lackawanna County.

05:20 - We also would like to note that we're doing this during Police.

05:24 - Officers Memorial Day and National Police Officers Week.

05:28 - It's a fitting time for us to do this, Rosemary.

05:37 - Take quarters.

05:39 - Good afternoon everyone.

05:40 - I want to especially thank my colleague, Senator Lisa Baker,

05:44 - and her staff for their amazing hard work on this legislation.

05:49 - And also a very special thank you to the Lackawanna County.

05:52 - District Attorney, Brian Gallagher, for bringing this to the Senator,

05:56 - Senator Baker, and to the legislature from his experience.

06:00 - So we thank you for that.

06:01 - I am very grateful and we should be very grateful

06:05 - that Detective Kyle Gilmartin is here with us today.

06:09 - However, him and his wife,

06:12 - Lindsay and their family will continue to face the impact of this tragedy,

06:17 - which was horrific, including, I'm sure,

06:20 - post-traumatic stress disorder and other health challenges.

06:24 - This is not an easy road to continue

06:27 - when our children and our loved ones leave our homes.

06:31 - We expect them to be safe.

06:35 - This is by far one of the

06:36 - most important priorities to the people that we represent.

06:41 - Any attempt to murder or harm the men and women of law enforcement

06:45 - who work every day to maintain civility and the rule of law,

06:50 - should carry the strongest possible penalties.

06:54 - When our law enforcement officers are threatened,

06:57 - our communities are threatened.

07:00 - I stand in support of Senate Bill 1284.

07:02 - I was very proud to vote on that today,

07:04 - and I thank all of my colleagues in the Senate for their support as well,

07:09 - which will align, build and strengthen

07:11 - penalties to better protect our officers.

07:15 - A very special thank you, especially as Senator Baker mentioned today

07:19 - and this week, to those who have chosen a career in law enforcement.

07:23 - It's not easy times.

07:25 - And to their families, we value your service and your sacrifice

07:28 - to the Commonwealth.

07:29 - And just as you protect our families each and every day.

07:33 - Today, the legislature is working to protect you.

07:36 - Thank you. And with that, I will introduce

07:39 - our Lackawanna District Attorney, Brian Gallagher.

07:48 - Thank you very much.

07:49 - On behalf of law enforcement throughout Lackawanna County,

07:53 - I can't thank Senator Baker and Senator,

07:56 - as well as their colleagues who voted to advance this bill today.

07:59 - As citizens, we want our bills to reflect,

08:04 - and our law is to reflect the values of our community

08:06 - and our community in Scranton, Lackawanna County, northeastern.

08:09 - Pennsylvania, and all of Pennsylvania.

08:11 - We stand before enforcement.

08:13 - We respect them, and we appreciate them every day,

08:16 - not just when they're laying in a hospital bed or in a casket.

08:20 - I want to recognize Kyle, Joe, and Jason for being here today.

08:25 - It has been a long journey since January 11th,

08:28 - and we're here, and we got this over the finish line.

08:31 - I want to thank the Pennsylvania DA's Association and my colleagues,

08:34 - especially the DA's and the northeastern PA, who are all present here today.

08:38 - If you read this bill, there are two things that are abundantly clear.

08:42 - It is not Partizan exactly how it should be.

08:45 - It's about public safety.

08:46 - It's about protecting for enforcement.

08:48 - And second, it is narrowly tailored to a specific set of circumstances

08:54 - when someone knowingly attempts to commit First-Degree murder of a police officer

08:59 - that is, knowing they're a police officer and with the specific intent

09:03 - to kill them and they are serious bodily injury.

09:06 - In that scenario, a 2020 minimum is not only appropriate.

09:10 - It is absolutely necessary

09:13 - when you inflict catastrophic harm.

09:15 - Traumatic brain injury, limited use of your limbs

09:19 - when you take away someone's career, when you limit their interaction

09:22 - with their family, their friends, their officers,

09:25 - when you hurt their relationships with their children or their wives

09:28 - or their spouses or that or their department.

09:32 - A 20 year mandatory minimum is appropriate,

09:35 - and the impact on them is permanent.

09:40 - This bill advanced with the leadership again of Senator.

09:43 - Senator Baker, ensures a baseline of accountability.

09:46 - It does not eliminate judicial discretion.

09:48 - It sets the floor that matches the severity of the conduct.

09:52 - And when someone attempts to murder or seriously injure a police officer,

09:58 - again, the mandatory minimum is appropriate.

10:01 - This isn't about policy debates in the abstract.

10:03 - It's not political.

10:04 - It's about protecting those who every day protect us and make sure

10:08 - that the law reflects the gravity and the intent of the offender.

10:13 - Justice should not depend on a miracle or divine intervention.

10:16 - So, Senator Baker, Senator Brown, thank you so much.

10:18 - Thank you guys for being here. Thank you again.

10:26 - Do you want to say something?

10:27 - I would like to introduce

10:29 - my close personal friend and someone I did not expect to be speaking here today.

10:33 - Thanks. I sure glad I.

10:34 - I'm sure glad he is going to speak.

10:36 - And we're going to temper what we say.

10:39 - But I I'm.

10:41 - It's my honor.

10:42 - And a pure joy to introduce, my good

10:45 - friend, Detective Kyle Martin.

10:48 - Thank you.

10:55 - I wasn't,

10:56 - prepared to speak, but, I've been put on the spot a few times.

11:01 - So I'm pretty much prepared.

11:03 - First and foremost, I just want to thank God for allowing me to be here.

11:07 - And thank God that I.

11:09 - All these individuals came to my life.

11:12 - And helped me carry my family through this event.

11:15 - My biggest message today, though, to tell everybody the the that night

11:19 - I was at home, my wife, my eight month old son, just trying to

11:25 - just trying to spend time with my family.

11:26 - And I got a call to go into work and

11:29 - five hours later,

11:32 - somebody shot me in the head twice from three feet away.

11:35 - And, it's just been a wild ride from there. But,

11:41 - state, local, federal law enforcement, they're just normal guys.

11:44 - The families just want to go home.

11:45 - Their kids at night and,

11:50 - we're not bad guys.

11:51 - That's.

11:52 - I mean, I love the profession.

11:54 - They've stood by me, and I hope I don't have to leave it, but that's up to God.

11:58 - And, thank you all for, the support.

12:09 - Joe Regan.

12:12 - You are raising.

12:19 - Good afternoon.

12:20 - On behalf of the 40,000 Pennsylvania Fraternal Order

12:23 - police members and their families across the Commonwealth.

12:26 - I stand here today to thank the members of the Pennsylvania Senate

12:30 - for the passage of Senate Bill 1284.

12:34 - For too long, the dangerous gap in Pennsylvania law has allowed individuals

12:38 - who commit vile acts against officers sworn to protect and serve

12:43 - to face lesser consequences simply because the officers survived.

12:48 - That gap sent the wrong message.

12:51 - It lessened the seriousness of those acts

12:53 - and failed to recognize the true intent behind them.

12:57 - And the attack on a law enforcement officer is not just an attack

13:00 - on another human being, but an attack on our communities.

13:04 - It that undermines the safety and security of this Commonwealth

13:08 - and those who leave their homes every day,

13:11 - knowing there is a chance they will not come home.

13:15 - With the passage of Senate Bill 1284.

13:17 - That loophole will be closed.

13:20 - Senate Bill 1284 will ensure that those who attempt to take the life

13:24 - of a law enforcement officer will be held accountable for their actions.

13:28 - Those actions will have consequences.

13:31 - This is about fairness and justice, and most importantly,

13:35 - it is about standing behind the men

13:37 - and women who placed themselves in harm's way to protect others.

13:41 - And as we

13:42 - gather later today for our annual memorial service,

13:45 - we are reminded why this work matters

13:48 - to Senators Baker and Brown

13:51 - and to the members of the Senate Judiciary Committee.

13:53 - Thank you for your support, leadership, partnership,

13:57 - and unwavering support of Pennsylvania's law enforcement community.

14:02 - Thank you.

14:03 - Thank you.

14:09 - Steve.

14:10 - Steve.

14:12 - Great.

14:21 - Hello.

14:21 - Good afternoon.

14:23 - I'm Steven, police and Pennsylvania State Troopers Association's president.

14:27 - I represent the men and women of the that patrol

14:30 - our highways, answer our calls, and help

14:34 - all those in our community run towards danger when others cannot.

14:38 - Senate Bill 1284 is about something simple.

14:41 - Very simple.

14:42 - Making sure that the law treats

14:45 - an attempt to kill a police officer with the seriousness that it deserves.

14:49 - Our troopers understand the risk of this job.

14:52 - They accept them,

14:54 - but what they would never

14:55 - have to accept as a system where the intent to take an officer's life

14:59 - can result in a penalty that does not match the gravity of that act.

15:05 - When someone targets law enforcement officer with the intent

15:07 - to kill, that this decision is deliberate and calculated,

15:11 - and it threatens not just the officer, but the safety of the community we serve.

15:16 - The consequences should reflect the reality.

15:19 - This legislation brings needed

15:22 - consistency and common sense to our sentencing laws to ensure

15:26 - that those who carry out these violent acts against law enforcement

15:30 - are held fully accountable, no matter the outcome.

15:35 - On behalf of the Pennsylvania State Troopers, I want to thank Senator.

15:39 - Lisa Baker, Senator Rosemary Brown,

15:43 - for their leadership on this issue,

15:45 - and the Senate Judiciary Committee for taking action.

15:48 - Senate Bill 1284 sends a clear message.

15:51 - If you try to take the life of a law enforcement officer,

15:54 - there will be serious consequences.

15:56 - That's what's fairness demands.

15:59 - That's what the public safety requires. Thank you.

16:08 - That concludes press conference.

16:10 - Members of law enforcement will be available

16:14 - for one on one interviews and those who have them

16:17 - scheduled will be happy to take your questions at that time.

16:21 - We, we will conclude and say thank you for joining us.

16:25 - Thank you everyone.

16:33 - Remember.

16:57 - This.