Boulder City Man with Smashed Liquor Bottle Charged with Resisting Arrest
Earlier this month a man in Boulder City was charged with assault with a deadly weapon for allegedly using a smashed liquor bottle to threaten people after shoplifting a grocery store. He was also charged with committing the Nevada crime of resisting arrest for then running into a Starbucks after a cop tried to detain him. He apparently attempted to hang himself in jail and was put on suicide watch at the Clark County Detention Center.
The Nevada crime of resisting arrest occurs when someone willfully resists, delays or obstructs a cop when they are trying to take someone into custody. Common behaviors that qualify as resisting arrest in Las Vegas include fleeing when a cop arrests you and refusing to move when the cop tries to put you in the police car. Standard defenses used to fight these charges include "lack of intent," "self-defense," "lack of resistance," or "illegal arrest."
The penalties for committing the Nevada crime of resisting arrest depend on the circumstances. As long as the arrestee doesn't try to use any weapons, resisting arrest is just a misdemeanor carrying up to $1,000 in fines and/or up to six months in jail. But if the arrestee does try to use a firearm, it's a category C felony carrying one to five years in prison, and maybe a fine of up to $10,000. If the arrestee tries to hit the officer, they may face separate charges for assault or battery.
For more on this story, go to: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2010/jul/07/man-smashed-liquor-bottle-arrested-assault-charge/
