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<law><site_title>Virginia Decoded</site_title><site_url>https://vacode.org</site_url><law_id>72165</law_id><section_number>18.2-51.1</section_number><catch_line>Malicious bodily injury to law-enforcement officers, firefighters, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel; penalty; lesser-included offense</catch_line><edition url="https://vacode.org/2025/" slug="2025" current="TRUE" last_updated="">2025</edition><referred_to_by><reference>16.1-269.1</reference><reference>16.1-278.8</reference><reference>17.1-805</reference><reference>18.2-53.1</reference><reference>19.2-392.02</reference><reference>53.1-202.3</reference><reference>53.1-40.02</reference></referred_to_by><structure><unit label="title" level="1" order_by="1" identifier="18.2">Crimes and Offenses Generally</unit><unit label="chapter" level="2" order_by="1" identifier="4">Crimes Against the Person</unit><unit label="article" level="3" order_by="1" identifier="4">Assaults and Bodily Woundings</unit></structure><text>
						<section><p>If any person maliciously causes bodily injury to another by any means including the means set out in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Malicious bodily injury by means of any caustic substance or agent or use of any explosive or fire" href="/18.2-52/">18.2-52</a>, with <span class="dictionary">intent</span> to maim, disfigure, disable or kill, and knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a <span class="dictionary">law-enforcement officer</span>, as defined hereinafter, firefighter, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Coverage of firefighters and law-enforcement officers in off-duty capacity" href="/65.2-102/">65.2-102</a>, <span class="dictionary">search and rescue personnel</span> as defined hereinafter, or emergency medical services personnel, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/32.1-111.1/">32.1-111.1</a> engaged in the performance of his public duties as a <span class="dictionary">law-enforcement officer</span>, firefighter, <span class="dictionary">search and rescue personnel</span>, or emergency medical services personnel, such person is guilty of a <span class="dictionary">felony</span> punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less than five years nor more than 30 years and, subject to subdivision (g) of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Punishment for conviction of felony; penalty" href="/18.2-10/">18.2-10</a>, a fine of not more than $100,000. Upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of two years.
		If any person unlawfully, but not maliciously, with the <span class="dictionary">intent</span> aforesaid, causes bodily injury to another by any means, knowing or having reason to know such other person is a <span class="dictionary">law-enforcement officer</span>, firefighter, as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Coverage of firefighters and law-enforcement officers in off-duty capacity" href="/65.2-102/">65.2-102</a>, <span class="dictionary">search and rescue personnel</span>, or emergency medical services personnel, engaged in the performance of his public duties as a <span class="dictionary">law-enforcement officer</span>, firefighter, <span class="dictionary">search and rescue personnel</span>, or emergency medical services personnel as defined in &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Definitions" href="/32.1-111.1/">32.1-111.1</a>, he is guilty of a Class 6 <span class="dictionary">felony</span>, and upon <span class="dictionary">conviction</span>, the sentence of such person shall include a mandatory minimum term of imprisonment of one year.
		Nothing in this section shall be construed to affect the right of any person charged with a violation of this section from asserting and presenting <span class="dictionary">evidence</span> in support of any defenses to the charge that may be available under <span class="dictionary">common law</span>.
		As used in this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">law-enforcement officer</span>&#x201D; means any full-time or part-time employee of a police department or sheriff&#x2019;s office that is part of or administered by the Commonwealth or any political subdivision thereof, who is responsible for the prevention or detection of <span class="dictionary">crime</span> and the enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway <span class="dictionary">laws</span> of the Commonwealth; any conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation commissioned pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment of conservation officers; qualifications; oath" href="/10.1-115/">10.1-115</a>; any conservation police officer appointed pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment of conservation police officers" href="/29.1-200/">29.1-200</a>; and auxiliary police officers appointed or provided for pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Establishment, etc., authorized; powers, authority and immunities generally" href="/15.2-1731/">15.2-1731</a> and <a class="law" title="Appointment of auxiliary police officers; revocation of appointment; uniform; organization; rules and regulations" href="/15.2-1733/">15.2-1733</a> and auxiliary deputy sheriffs appointed pursuant to &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Appointment of deputies; their powers; how removed" href="/15.2-1603/">15.2-1603</a>.
		As used in this section, &#x201C;<span class="dictionary">search and rescue personnel</span>&#x201D; means any employee or member of a search and rescue organization that is authorized by a resolution or <span class="dictionary">ordinance</span> duly adopted by the governing body of any county, city, or town of the Commonwealth or any member of a search and rescue organization operating under a <span class="dictionary">memorandum</span> of understanding with the Virginia Department of Emergency Management.
		The provisions of &#xA7;&#xA0;<a class="law" title="Shooting, stabbing, etc., with intent to maim, kill, etc" href="/18.2-51/">18.2-51</a> shall be deemed to provide a lesser-included <span class="dictionary">offense</span> hereof.</p></section></text><history>1983, c. 578; 1985, c. 444; 1994, cc. 205, 427; 1997, cc. 8, 120; 2002, cc. 588, 623; 2004, cc. 461, 841; 2007, c. 87; 2010, c. 344; 2015, cc. 502, 503.</history><metadata></metadata></law>
