§ 22–404. Assault or threatened assault in a menacing manner; stalking.

(a)(1) Whoever unlawfully assaults, or threatens another in a menacing manner, shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or be imprisoned not more than 180 days, or both.

(2) Whoever unlawfully assaults, or threatens another in a menacing manner, and intentionally, knowingly, or recklessly causes significant bodily injury to another shall be fined not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01 or be imprisoned not more than 3 years, or both.

(3) For the purposes of this section, the term "significant bodily injury" means:

(A) An injury that, to prevent long-term physical damage or to abate severe pain, requires hospitalization or medical treatment beyond what a layperson can personally administer;

(B) A fracture of a bone;

(C) A laceration for which the victim required stitches, sutures, staples, or closed-skin adhesives, or a laceration that is at least one inch in length and at least one quarter of an inch in depth;

(D) A burn of at least second degree severity;

(E) Any loss of consciousness;

(F) A traumatic brain injury; or

(G) An injury where medical testing, beyond what a layperson can personally administer, was performed to ascertain whether there was an injury described in subparagraphs (A)-(F) of this paragraph.

(b) Repealed.

(d) Repealed.

(e) Repealed.

(Mar. 3, 1901, 31 Stat. 1322, ch. 854, § 806; May 8, 1993, D.C. Law 9-269,§ 2, 39 DCR 9014; Nov. 17, 1993, D.C. Law 10-53, § 2, 40 DCR 5446; Aug. 20, 1994, D.C. Law 10-151, § 105(d), 41 DCR 2608; May 16, 1995, D.C. Law 10-255, § 16, 41 DCR 5193; June 3, 1997, D.C. Law 11-275, § 3, 44 DCR 1408; Apr. 24, 2007, D.C. Law 16-306, § 207, 53 DCR 8610; Dec. 10, 2009, D.C. Law 18-88, § 302, 56 DCR 7413; June 11, 2013, D.C. Law 19-317, § 201(c), 60 DCR 2064; June 8, 2024, D.C. Law 25-175, § 19(a), 71 DCR 2732.)

Prior Codifications

1981 Ed., § 22-504.

1973 Ed., § 22-504.

Section References

This section is referenced in § 5-132.21, § 7-2502.03, § 16-2333, § 22-951, and § 23-581.

Effect of Amendments

D.C. Law 16-306 rewrote subsec. (a), which had read as follows: “(a) Whoever unlawfully assaults, or threatens another in a menacing manner, shall be fined not more than $1,000 or be imprisoned not more than 180 days, or both.”

D.C. Law 18-88 repealed subsecs. (b) to (e).

The 2013 amendment by D.C. Law 19-317 substituted “not more than the amount set forth in § 22-3571.01” for “not more than $1,000” in (a)(1) and for “not more than $3,000” in (a)(2).

Cross References

Firearms control, registration certificates, prerequisites for issuance, see § 7-2502.03.

Emergency Legislation

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 14(a) of Secure DC Omnibus Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 (D.C. Act 25-490, June 7, 2024, 71 DCR 7006).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 14(a) of Secure DC Omnibus Emergency Amendment Act of 2024 (D.C. Act 25-410, Mar. 11, 2024, 71 DCR 2693).

For temporary amendment of section, see § 105(d) of the Omnibus Criminal Justice Reform Emergency Amendment Act of 1994 (D.C. Act 10-255, June 22, 1994, 41 DCR 4286).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 207 of Omnibus Public Safety Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-445, July 19, 2006, 53 DCR 6443).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 207 of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2006 (D.C. Act 16-490, October 18, 2006, 53 DCR 8686).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 207 of Omnibus Public Safety Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-10, January 16, 2007, 54 DCR 1479).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 207 of Omnibus Public Safety Second Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2007 (D.C. Act 17-25, April 19, 2007, 54 DCR 4036).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 302 of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-181, August 6, 2009, 56 DCR 6903).

For temporary (90 day) amendment of section, see § 302 of Omnibus Public Safety and Justice Congressional Review Emergency Amendment Act of 2009 (D.C. Act 18-227, October 21, 2009, 56 DCR 8668).

For temporary (90 days) amendment of this section, see § 201(c) of the Criminal Fine Proportionality Emergency Act of 2013 (D.C. Act 20-45, April 1, 2013, 60 DCR 5400, 20 DCSTAT 1300).

Editor's Notes

Applicability of D.C. Law 19-317: Section 401 of D.C. Law 19-317 provided that the act shall apply only to offenses committed on or after June 11, 2013.