Bill > HB3458

This bill amends the Criminal Code of 2012 by adding a new legal defense for aggravated battery involving peace officers. Specifically, it provides a defense when a peace officer is battered during an incident involving an individual with a documented mental illness who was acting abruptly, and whom a reasonable officer could believe was experiencing a mental health episode. The defense recognizes that interactions with individuals experiencing mental health challenges can be unpredictable and potentially escalate, and offers legal protection for peace officers who might use force in response to such situations. By inserting this new subsection (d-1) into the existing law on aggravated battery, the bill aims to provide nuanced consideration of mental health contexts in law enforcement encounters, acknowledging the complexity of interactions with individuals experiencing mental health episodes and potentially offering some legal protection for officers who must make split-second decisions in challenging circumstances.

https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=3458&GAID=18&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=114&GA=104