The Oklahoma House passed a bill Wednesday that extends punishments for rioters and grants immunity to drivers who injure or kill someone while fleeing a riot, USA Today reported.
House Bill 1674, introduced by Republican state Rep. Kevin West, would allow prosecutors to charge rioters with a misdemeanor for interfering with traffic and endangering drivers. If passed, motor vehicle operators would not face criminal or civil charges for hitting a rioter if they were fleeing for safety or exercised “due care” at the time of the injury or death.
The bill defines a rioter as anyone committing violence or robbery during the protest, according to the Courthouse News Service. Rioters can face a criminal charge and imprisonment.
“If any murder, maiming, robbery, rape or arson was committed in the course of such a riot, such person is punishable in the same manner as a principal in such crime,” the bill text says. “Such person shall, upon conviction, be guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment.”
dailycaller.com/2021/03/11/oklahoma-house-bill-drivers-rioters/