A state senator from Detroit wants to authorize the death penalty in Michigan, but only for anyone who’s convicted of killing a police officer, according to the Detroit Free Press.
“If you kill a cop, you’re the most egregious criminal out there,” Smith told the newspaper. “If you’re willing to go that far, there’s no telling what you’re willing to do. There should be no mercy at that point.”
Smith’s effort won’t be easy, per se: To overturn the constitutional ban on capital punishment in Michigan, his resolution would require the approval of two-thirds of the members in the state House and Senate and an affirmative vote from voters.
If the state Legislature approves the resolution, it would go before voters in November 2016, according to the Associated Press.
Update Feb. 5, 2:25 p.m.: A previous version of this headline was incorrect. It has since been clarified.
This article appears in Feb 4-10, 2015.
