Which charge carries a penalty of Class C Misdemeanor when it involves taunting a police service animal?

The charge that carries a penalty of Class C Misdemeanor when it involves taunting a police service animal is indeed interference with police service animals. This offense is specifically defined to protect police animals, which are trained to assist officers and perform critical duties in law enforcement. Taunting or otherwise causing distress to these animals is considered an obstruction of their function and can impede police work.

Interference with police service animals is explicitly designed to ensure the safety and effectiveness of law enforcement efforts. It reflects the legal recognition of police animals as extensions of law enforcement officers, thus warranting legal protection under these circumstances. The penalty classification as a Class C Misdemeanor indicates that it is a less severe offense, typically punishable by a fine rather than jail time, which underscores the nature of the relationship between the law and the protection of service animals.

In contrast, the other options do not directly relate to the specific behavior of taunting police service animals and would carry different implications and penalties under law. Threatening behavior and hindering public duties, for example, involve distinct actions that do not specifically target service animals, and possession of contraband is a separate category of offense entirely.