Reno Man Charged with Punching Washoe County Jail Deputy
Last month a Reno man who's charged with killing his stepson and wife's grandmother was slapped with the additional charge of committing the Nevada crime of battery on a peace officer. He allegedly punched a deputy in the face while in his cell. The deputy did not sustain serious injuries.
The Nevada crime of battery on a peace officer makes it illegal to deliberately touch a police officer in a violent or unlawful way. This law also applies to firemen, corrections officers, and judges. A defendant cannot be convicted of this crime unless the officer was in the course of performing their duty at the time of the incident and the defendant knew (or should have known) that the victim was a peace officer.
Typical defenses to the Nevada crime of battery on a peace officer include lack of intent, accident, and lack of knowledge that the victim was a peace officer. If no substantial bodily harm occurred and the battery didn't include strangulation, it's charged as a gross misdemeanor carrying up to $2,000 in fines and/or up to 1 year in jail. Otherwise, it's a category B felony carrying up to $10,000 in fines and/or two to ten years imprisonment.
