Last week, we discussed a case in which a person was facing assault charges in connection with ramming a police cruiser and other issues that occurred during the incident. That might have some people wondering about assault charges and what they entail.
One type of assault charge is an aggravated assault charge. This type of charge is a serious charge that occurs when there are mitigating factors surrounding an assault. One of these factors is the identity of the person being assaulted. In many cases, firemen and police officers have special considerations, so assaulting one of them could lead to aggravated assault charges. In most cases, the person who is assaulted has to either be on duty or his or her identity has to be known -- as in the alleged assailant would have to know the person is a police officer or fireman -- for the incident to qualify as an aggravated assault.
Assaults that involve a deadly weapon are usually considered aggravated assaults. Even if the victim doesn't suffer injury in the assault, it could be considered an assault. For example, if a person holds a knife near a person's throat, that is aggravated assault because the knife is in a position where it could cause a deadly injury.
Aggravated assault is a violent crime that can easily affect every aspect of the defendant's life. The accusation, and the conviction if it occurs, remains part of the person's criminal history, which can potentially affect certain rights. With that in mind, you can see why it is important for anyone facing an aggravated assault charge to present a defense against the charges.