{"id":2515250,"date":"2025-11-27T14:40:02","date_gmt":"2025-11-27T19:40:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/barr-a-law-to-help-murdered-cops-and-their-families-has-a-devastating-loophole-that-needs-fixing\/"},"modified":"2025-11-27T14:42:15","modified_gmt":"2025-11-27T19:42:15","slug":"barr-a-law-to-help-murdered-cops-and-their-families-has-a-devastating-loophole-that-needs-fixing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/barr-a-law-to-help-murdered-cops-and-their-families-has-a-devastating-loophole-that-needs-fixing\/","title":{"rendered":"Barr: A Law to Help Murdered Cops and Their Families Has a Devastating Loophole That Needs Fixing"},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">34<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fbarr-a-law-to-help-murdered-cops-and-their-families-has-a-devastating-loophole-that-needs-fixing%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2515250&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p>The article highlights the <a href=\"https:\/\/amzn.to\/3YuVZYV\" >vital role law enforcement officers play<\/a> in small towns across America,where they are deeply integrated into their communities. It tells the story of Chief Herbert D. Proffitt from tompkinsville, Kentucky, a dedicated officer with 55 years of service, who was tragically murdered in 2012 by a man he had arrested multiple times. Despite being killed in an act of revenge, his family was denied federal death benefits because he had retired three years prior, revealing a gap in federal law.<\/p>\n<p>To address this, the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025 has been proposed. This legislation aims to amend the Public Safety Officers&#8217; Benefits program to extend protections adn benefits to retired officers who are targeted or disabled due to past service. The bill emphasizes that the risks faced by officers continue beyond their active careers and reinforces that their sacrifices-active or retired-should be honored.<\/p>\n<p>The article also notes a rise in targeted attacks and political hostility against law enforcement, arguing that such violence undermines the rule of law and discourages future recruits. Supporting the act is presented as a nonpartisan effort to ensure justice and fairness for officers and their families,sending a clear message that America values and stands by those who serve the law,both on duty and in retirement.  <\/p>\n<p class=\"readmore\">\n    <button onclick=\"showReadMore()\" id=\"readmorebtn\">Read more&#8230;<\/button>\n<\/p>\n<hr id=\"line\">\n<span id=\"more\"><\/p>\n<p><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><\/p>\n<section> \t\t\t\t<script>console.log(\"ad slot (AC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC1)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC2)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC3)\")<\/script><script>console.log(\"ad slot (IC4)\")<\/script><\/p>\n<p>In small towns across Kentucky and across America, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/aurora-police-chiefs-jaw-dropping-convo-with-biden-wh-staffer-they-really-dont-care-that-illegals-are-killing-us\/\" title=\"Aurora Police Chief&#039;s Jaw-Dropping Convo with Biden WH Staffer - They Really Don&#039;t Care That Illegals Are Killing Us\">law enforcement officers don&#038;rsquo<\/a>;t just serve &mdash; they become part of the community&rsquo;s fabric.<\/p>\n<p>They attend church with the people they protect, they coach Little League, and they put themselves in harm&rsquo;s way for neighbors who often become friends. They are the people who show up when something goes wrong, no matter the hour or the circumstance.<\/p>\n<p>But what too many forget is that danger doesn&rsquo;t always end when the uniform comes off. Sometimes service paints a permanent target on an officer&rsquo;s back.<\/p>\n<p>That&rsquo;s what happened to Chief Herbert D. Proffitt of Tompkinsville, Kentucky. After 55 years in law enforcement and a career marked by integrity and compassion, Chief Proffitt was murdered in cold blood in 2012 by a man he had arrested multiple times in the decades earlier.<\/p>\n<p>His murder was a deliberate act of revenge &mdash; proof that the risk of service can follow an officer long after retirement.<\/p>\n<p> <script type=\"text\/javascript\"> \t\t\tif ( getCookie( \"ff_subbed\" ) ) { \t\t\t\tdocument.getElementById(\"stnvideo\").remove() \t\t\t} else { \t\t\t\tdocument.addEventListener(\"DOMContentLoaded\", function() { \t\t\t\t\tfunction loadScript(src) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst script=document.createElement(\"script\"); \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.src=src; \t\t\t\t\t\tscript.async=true; \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.body.appendChild(script); \t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\tfunction findPreviousParagraph(selector, x) { \t\t\t\t\t\tconst targetElement=document.querySelector(selector); \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!targetElement) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Target element not found.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Get all <\/p>\n<p> elements in order as they appear in the document \t\t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphs=Array.from(document.querySelectorAll(\"p\"));  \t\t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the index of the last <\/p>\n<p> before the target element \t\t\t\t\t\tlet targetIndex=paragraphs.findIndex(p=> p.compareDocumentPosition(targetElement) & Node.DOCUMENT_POSITION_PRECEDING);  \t\t\t\t\t\tif (targetIndex===-1 || targetIndex <x) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.warn(\"Not enough paragraphs before the target element.\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\treturn null; \t\t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\treturn paragraphs[targetIndex - x]; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Set up IntersectionObserver \t\t\t\t\tfunction observeElement(element) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif (!element) return;  \t\t\t\t\t\tconst observer=new IntersectionObserver( \t\t\t\t\t\t\t(entries)=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tentries.forEach(entry=> { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tif (entry.isIntersecting) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log(\"Paragraph is now visible:\", entry.target.textContent.trim()); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tloadScript(\"https:\/\/embed.sendtonews.com\/player3\/embedcode.js?fk=s28Az7AY\"); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.disconnect(); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t\t\t\t}, \t\t\t\t\t\t\t{ threshold: 0.5 } \/\/ Adjust threshold as needed \t\t\t\t\t\t);  \t\t\t\t\t\tobserver.observe(element); \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\t\/\/ Find the 1st paragraph before #stnvideo and observe it \t\t\t\t\tlet paragraphToObserve=findPreviousParagraph(\"#stnvideo\", 2); \t\t\t\t\tobserveElement(paragraphToObserve); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> <\/p>\n<p>To the community, he was a hero who never stopped serving; to his <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/alert-multiple-officers-pa-shooting-mexican-consulate-issues-strange-message-immediately\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">assailant<\/a>, he was a symbol of accountability that had to be eliminated. Yet when his family sought the same federal death benefits provided to officers killed in the line of duty, they were denied. The reason: he had technically retired three years earlier.<\/p>\n<p>That denial exposed a painful gap in federal law &mdash; one that the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act of 2025 would finally fix. The bill would amend the Public Safety Officers&rsquo; Benefits program to cover retired law enforcement officers who are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/multiple-police-officers-shot-killed-quiet-town\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">killed<\/a> or permanently disabled as the result of a targeted attack motivated by their past service.<\/p>\n<p>These are not random crimes or unrelated tragedies; they are direct retaliations against individuals for having upheld the law. The attackers are not acting out of impulse, but out of vengeance toward someone who once arrested them, prosecuted them, or stood between them and the innocent.<\/p>\n<p>This legislation is about closing a loophole that no one intended but that has denied <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/police-officer-killed-investigating-suspicious-person-report-governor-asks-prayer\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">justice<\/a> to families who have already given everything. It restores fairness to the system and ensures that those who dedicate their lives to <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/michigan-democrat-wont-caucus-with-her-disconnected-party-washington-examiner\/\" title=\"Michigan Democrat won\u2019t caucus with her \u2018disconnected\u2019 party - Washington Examiner\">public safety &#038;mdash<\/a>; and their survivors &mdash; receive the protection and recognition they deserve.<\/p>\n<p>It also reinforces a basic principle: an officer&rsquo;s commitment to their community doesn&rsquo;t end at retirement, and neither should the protections afforded to them for that service. A badge may be set aside, but its legacy &mdash; and the risks it carries &mdash; do not fade.<\/p>\n<p>Unfortunately, Chief Proffitt&rsquo;s story is not an isolated one. In recent years, the country has witnessed a troubling rise in politically motivated violence, hostility toward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/3-police-officers-shot-fatal-ambush-one-teen-suspect-released-without-bond-last-month\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">police<\/a>, and targeted attacks on law enforcement. Officers have been ambushed while sitting in their patrol cars, ICE agents and border personnel have faced escalating threats for enforcing federal law, and retired public servants have been harassed or assaulted for their prior work.<\/p>\n<p>These acts aren&rsquo;t just crimes against individuals &mdash; they&rsquo;re attacks on the rule of law itself and on the principle that justice should be blind to fear or retaliation.<\/p>\n<p>When law enforcement officers, active or retired, become targets for doing their jobs, the message reverberates far beyond a single community. It chills recruitment, undermines morale, and sends the dangerous signal that those who enforce our laws will be left to fend for themselves. That is unacceptable.<\/p>\n<p>The Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act corrects this by reaffirming that America will not forget or forsake those who wear &mdash; or once wore &mdash; the badge.<\/p>\n<p>Supporting this bill should transcend politics. It is a clear, common-sense commitment: if you are attacked because you upheld the law, your sacrifice will be honored and your family protected. That promise doesn&rsquo;t expire with retirement papers or the closing of a career.<\/p>\n<p>Chief Proffitt spent his life restoring <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/armed-man-shot-killed-inside-st-louis-airport-terminal\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">peace<\/a> in moments of chaos. The least we can do is restore justice in the wake of his sacrifice &mdash; and for every officer who continues to live under the shadow of the badge. Passing this bill sends an unmistakable message: America stands with those who stand for her laws, in uniform and beyond.<\/p>\n<p><em>Republican Rep. Andy Barr of Kentucky is leading the Chief Herbert D. Proffitt Act in the House.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>The views and opinions expressed in this commentary are those of the author and do not reflect the official position of the Daily Caller News Foundation.<\/em><\/p>\n<p><em>All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter&rsquo;s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact <a href=\"http:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/mailto:licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org\">licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<p><i><b>The views expressed in this opinion article are those of their author and are not necessarily either d or endorsed by the owners of this website. If you are interested in contributing an Op-Ed to The Western Journal, you can learn about our submission guidelines and process <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/submitop-ed\/\">here<\/a>.<\/b><\/i><\/p>\n<div style=\"position: relative;\">\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-submit-correction inner-content\">\n<div class=\"correction-form\">\n<form style=\"display: none;\">\n<div class=\"sc-name-field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* Name<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"name\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<div class=\"sc--field\"> \t\t\t\t\t\t<label>* <\/label> \t\t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"text\" name=\"\" required> \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<label>* Message<\/label> \t\t\t\t\t<br \/> \t\t\t\t\t<textarea name=\"message\" required><\/textarea> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"required-message\" style=\"display: none; padding-bottom: 15px;\">* All fields are required.<\/div>\n<p> \t\t\t\t\t<input type=\"submit\" value=\"Submit\" onclick=\"event.preventDefault(); firefly_sc();\"> \t\t\t\t\t \t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"firefly-sc-confirm\" style=\"display: none;\">Success!<\/div>\n<\/p><\/form>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> \t\t<script> \t\t\tfunction firefly_sc() { \t\t\t\tif( typeof window.captchaPublicKey==typeof undefined ){ \t\t\t\t\tconsole.error('window.captchaPublicKey is not defined'); \t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\tgrecaptcha.execute( window.captchaPublicKey, { action: 'submit_correction' } ).then( function( token ) { \t\t\t\t\tvar opts={ \t\t\t\t\t\taction:    'firefly_sc_submit', \t\t\t\t\t\tname:      document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"name\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\t:     document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tmessage:   document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"message\"]' ).value, \t\t\t\t\t\tpost_id:   firefly_post_id, \t\t\t\t\t\tcap_token: token \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tvar inputs=[ 'name', '', 'message' ];  \t\t\t\t\tfor( var i=0; i <inputs.length; i++ ) if( ! ( opts[inputs[i]]=document.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction [name=\"' + inputs[i] + '\"]' ).value ) ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .required-message' ).style.display='block'; \t\t\t\t\t\treturn; \t\t\t\t\t}  \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction input[type=\"submit\"]' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).src=firefly_loading_gif_url; \t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='inline-block';  \t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( 'ma subbing' );  \t\t\t\t\tif( firefly_post_id ) opts['post_id']=firefly_post_id;  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Send the data using post with element id name and name2*\/ \t\t\t\t\tvar posting=jQuery.post( firefly_ajax_url, opts );  \t\t\t\t\t\/* Alerts the results *\/ \t\t\t\t\tposting.done( function( response ) { \t\t\t\t\t\tif( response.success ) { \t\t\t\t\t\t\tconsole.log( response.data ); \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-submitting-img' ).style.display='none'; \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdocument.querySelector( '.entry-submit-correction .firefly-sc-confirm' ).style.display='block';  \t\t\t\t\t\t\tdataLayer.push( { 'event': 'submit-correction' } ); \t\t\t\t\t\t} \t\t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t\t}); \t\t\t} \t\t<\/script> \t     \t\t\t\t\t\t     \t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<p style=\"border: 1px solid #f5f5f5; padding: 16px;\">Advertise with The Western Journal and reach millions of highly engaged readers, while supporting our work. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/advertise-us\/?wj_source=article\">Advertise Today<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script>console.log(\"ad slot (BA1)\")<\/script> \t\t<\/p>\n<div class=\"ff-fancy-header-container\"> \t\t\t \t<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<p><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>In small towns throughout Kentucky and across the United States, law enforcement officers do more than just enforce the law &#8211; they become integral members of their communities. They join their neighbors at church, coach local Little League teams, and willingly face danger to protect those who often become friends. These officers are the ones who respond whenever trouble arises, regardless of the time or situation<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2515251,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2025-11-22T203417.343.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[33651],"tags":[16097,33010,43031,67818,57618],"class_list":["post-2515250","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-western-journal","tag-law-enforcement","tag-criminal-justice","tag-legal-reform","tag-police-protection","tag-victims-rights"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/www.westernjournal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/Ben-Working-Feature-Image-2025-11-22T203417.343.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515250","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2515250"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515250\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2515254,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2515250\/revisions\/2515254"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2515251"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2515250"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2515250"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2515250"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}