Assault and Battery refers to two distinct but related legal concepts often addressed together in criminal and tort law.
**Assault** is typically defined as an intentional act that creates a reasonable apprehension of imminent harmful or offensive contact in another person. It does not require physical contact; the key element is the threat or fear of harm.
**Battery**, on the other hand, involves the actual physical contact or offensive touching of another person without their consent. This can include actions that cause injury, harm, or an offensive touching, regardless of whether injury ensues.
Both assault and battery are criminal offenses and can also give rise to civil liability. While assault emphasizes the threat or fear of violence, battery focuses on the physical act of harm. Together, these terms encapsulate actions that violate an individual’s personal safety and bodily integrity. Legal consequences may vary by jurisdiction, but both offenses are taken seriously in law, aiming to protect individuals from violence and coercion.
A former officer from the Aiken Department of Public Safety is facing charges of assault and battery in the third degree, according to the South Carolina Law Enforcement Division (SLED).…