By BRENT MARTIN
St. Joseph Post
St. Joseph Police Officer Lucas Winder returns to Jefferson City today to testify before a Missouri Senate committee on Max’s Law.
Max’s Law is named after St. Joseph police dog, K-9 Max, shot and killed chasing a suspect in the summer of 2021.
Winder, Max’s handler, discovered after the death of Max that Missouri law treats the killing of a police animal as no more serious than a property crime. Max’s Law would enhance the penalty.
“I’m not saying that humans and dogs are the same, all alike, but if they lay down their lives, we need to show the proper respect and render some appropriate justice for that,” Winder tells KFEQ/St. Joseph Post.
This is the second in a three-part series on efforts to pass Max’s Law.
Winder will testify before the Missouri Senate Judiciary Committee, which is chaired by Sen. Tony Luetkemeyer, a Republican who represents Platte and Buchanan Counties in the Missouri Senate.
Luetkemeyer sponsored Max’s Law at the prompting of Winder after Luetkemeyer had come to the St. Joseph Police Department to formally honor Max for his sacrifice.
Winder will not be testifying alone.
“Actually, I asked my father, John Winder, who is a handler now with the Buchanan County Sheriff’s Department, and his dog Niko if they could come down and be present while I testify,” Winder says. “And my father and the leadership of Buchanan County said that would be just fine. So, now my father’s going to join me in testifying on this go.”
Luetkemeyer ran out of time two years ago when he first sponsored Max’s Law. Last year, he succeeded in amending an anti-crime bill he sponsored to include Max’s Law. It passed the legislature, but Gov. Mike Parson vetoed it, objecting to an unrelated matter in the measure.
Windsor was disappointed, but philosophical.
“Sometimes, the legislative machine tacks on things along the way. I’m not in opposition to that, but at the same time, it’s a little frustrating to watch sometimes,” Winder says. “But again, I’ve got faith it’s going to pass this year and it’s going to be just fine.”
Winder recalls the evening in the summer of 2021 when Max made the ultimate sacrifice when we conclude this series tomorrow.
Click HERE for Part One: Remembering Max
Click HERE for Part Three: Preserving Max's legacy
You can follow Brent on X @GBrentKFEQ and St. Joseph Post @StJosephPost.