** Bills proposing line-of-duty death benefits for surviving families introduced in Kentucky
** California US Navy corpsman to stand trial on charges he murdered 19-month-old child
UNITED STATES NEWS
** Kentucky politicians are trying to push through two potential laws that would provide line-of-duty
death benefits to surviving families of LODD EMTs and paramedics. That is the word from The
Lexington Herald Leader (Greg Kocher/January 18) which said the proposed laws aim to amend a
long time omission that saw LODD police and firefighter families receive a lump sum. According to
the newspaper, only the families of Lexington EMS responders have been eligible for some
compensation because prehospital toilers in the city work for the fire department. Senate Bill 43,
named as the John Mackey Memorial Act, would offer a stipend of $80,000 to surviving families of
LODD’s dying on or after July 1, 2014. Jessamine County EMS provider John Mackey, 40, died in
November after being struck by a car. House Bill 54, meanwhile, would work similarly, though
private ambulance employees would not be eligible.
** A San Diego, California based US Navy corpsman will next appear in court February 29th after
being charged with murdering his girlfriend’s 19-month-old son. The Times of San Diego
(Hoa Quach/January 19) said Brett Brown, 29, entered a plea of not guilty Tuesday to tags of
murder and child abuse. According to the newspaper, Brown was taken into custody last Thursday
and is being held without bond. Police say Brown hailed help after claiming the boy had fallen.
Transported to hospital, the child died two days later. An autopsy found the boy, Lucas, incurred
multiple skull fractures. X-rays also showed he had broken bones in an arm and leg that were
healing. Bruising was also present. If convicted, Brown could face up to life in prison.
