Today is April 21.

Metropolitan King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn today praised the Lakewood Officers’ Memorial Act for keeping a suspect involved in a rape, torture and kidnapping case behind bars.

“This is the type of crime we envisioned for the application of the new Lakewood law, and shows exactly why we needed to give our judges more discretion to deny bail,” said Dunn, a former federal prosecutor.

In 2010, the King County Council unanimously adopted a motion urging the Washington state Legislature to approve the Lakewood Law Enforcement Memorial Act. Adopted by the legislature, the legislation sent a constitutional amendment giving judges the discretion to deny bail to people charged with serious crimes that are determined to be a danger to the community to the November 2010 ballot, where it was adopted by voters with an 85 percent yes vote.

John Joseph Hauff Jr., 66, has been charged with kidnapping, rape and assault. He faces up to life in prison if convicted.

Authorities allege that in addition to repeatedly shocking the 24-year-old woman, Hauff struck her with a paddle, used a catheter to force liquid into her bladder and assaulted her with a gynecological instrument.

Court documents say that Hauff stopped when the woman told him that she had texted his car’s license plate number to her boyfriend before entering the man’s home, and asked him to call police if she wasn’t heard from by midnight, according to a probable cause statement.

“The details of the crimes against the victim in this case are unconscionable,” said Dunn, who represents a portion of Bellevue on the county council. “I will rest easier tonight knowing this dangerous suspect is behind bars and does not pose an immediate threat to the public.