Officer Brian Gregg Act Heads To Governors Desk

The Pennsylvania Senate passed a bill Monday that was named after a fallen Newtown Borough Police Officer who was killed in the line of duty while attempting to draw a DUI suspect's blood.

House Bill 2058, or the Officer Brian Gregg Act, passed unanimously 47-0 and will make its way to Gov. Tom Wolf's office for him to sign into legislation.

The bill's primary sponsor is Frank A. Farry of District 142, who introduced the bill in early May this year.

The bill will authorize paramedics to conduct blood draws at the police station on behalf of municipal police departments for alleged DUI cases, according to the bill's memo.

This stems from Gregg's killing in Sept. 2005 when he and his partner took a DUI suspect to St. Mary's Medical Center emergency room for a blood alcohol test to determine the suspect's blood alcohol content. While in the emergency room, the prisoner began to struggle with Gregg and his partner. The suspect got his hands on Gregg's partner's service weapon and began shooting, striking Gregg and his partner in the chest and wounding a hospital technician. The prisoner then walked up to Gregg who was on the ground, and shot him in the head, killing him.

If signed by Wolf, officers in the state would not have to take DUI suspects to emergency rooms for blood tests by giving paramedics the appropriate clearances to draw suspects' blood at police stations, making the whole process more secure and safe for responders and the suspects.

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