Singer Chris Brown Charged With Aggravated Assault
The Los Angeles District Attorney’s Office charged singer Chris Brown with felony aggravated assault last month for the high-profile alleged attack on his girlfriend Rihanna that took place in February. News sources reported that he was being hit with a Los Angeles assault with a deadly weapon (otherwise known as AWD) and all went on to say how bizarre that was, given the fact that no one disclosed what type of weapon was used.
Although ADW is typically thought of as requiring a weapon, the law actually reads much broader than that. California’s Penal Code section 245(a)(1) not only addresses assault with a deadly weapon but also refers to any instrument or force that is likely to cause a substantial injury. That is how the felony complaint against the entertainer read – that he used “force likely to produce great bodily injury”.
This is precisely the type of case that leaves people wondering - what qualifies as a deadly weapon? Deadly weapons are defined as weapons, instruments or other objects that are able and likely to cause death or serious injury.
Los Angeles courts have typically held that people’s body parts are not “deadly weapons." Yet they can be used as a basis for this type of aggravated assault charge if they are used in a way that is likely to severely injure another. ADW is simply the “catchall” phrase that is commonly associated with aggravated assault, but it’s only one way to invite the charge.
