                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

POINTING, HOLDING, OR BRANDISHING FIREARM, AIR OR GAS OPERATED WEAPON OR OBJECT
SIMILAR IN APPEARANCE; PENALTY (§ 18.2-282)

A. It shall be unlawful for any person to point, hold or brandish any firearm or
any air or gas operated weapon or any object similar in appearance, whether
capable of being fired or not, in such manner as to reasonably induce fear in
the mind of another or hold a firearm or any air or gas operated weapon in a
public place in such a manner as to reasonably induce fear in the mind of
another of being shot or injured. However, this section shall not apply to any
person engaged in excusable or justifiable self-defense. Persons violating the
provisions of this section shall be guilty of a Class 1 misdemeanor or, if the
violation occurs upon any public, private or religious elementary, middle or
high school, including buildings and grounds or upon public property within
1,000 feet of such school property, he shall be guilty of a Class 6 felony.

B. Any police officer in the performance of his duty, in making an arrest under
the provisions of this section, shall not be civilly liable in damages for
injuries or death resulting to the person being arrested if he had reason to
believe that the person being arrested was pointing, holding, or brandishing
such firearm or air or gas operated weapon, or object that was similar in
appearance, with intent to induce fear in the mind of another.

C. For purposes of this section, the word &#8220;firearm&#8221; means any weapon
that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to expel single or
multiple projectiles by the action of an explosion of a combustible material.
The word &#8220;ammunition,&#8221; as used herein, shall mean a cartridge,
pellet, ball, missile or projectile adapted for use in a firearm.

HISTORY: Code 1950, § 18.1-69.2; 1968, c. 513; 1975, cc. 14, 15; 1990, cc. 588,
599; 1992, c. 735; 2003, c. 976; 2005, c. 928.