                                 CODE OF VIRGINIA

MALICIOUS BODILY INJURY TO LAW-ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS, FIREFIGHTERS, SEARCH AND
RESCUE PERSONNEL, OR EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES PERSONNEL; PENALTY;
LESSER-INCLUDED OFFENSE (§ 18.2-51.1)

If any person maliciously causes bodily injury to another by any means including
the means set out in § 18.2-52, with intent to maim, disfigure, disable or
kill, and knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a
law-enforcement officer, as defined hereinafter, firefighter, as defined in §
65.2-102, search and rescue personnel as defined hereinafter, or emergency
medical services personnel, as defined in § 32.1-111.1 engaged in the
performance of his public duties as a law-enforcement officer, firefighter,
search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel, such
person is guilty of a felony punishable by imprisonment for a period of not less
than five years nor more than 30 years and, subject to subdivision (g) of §
18.2-10, a fine of not more than $100,000. Upon conviction, 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 intent aforesaid,
causes bodily injury to another by any means, knowing or having reason to know
such other person is a law-enforcement officer, firefighter, as defined in §
65.2-102, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services personnel,
engaged in the performance of his public duties as a law-enforcement officer,
firefighter, search and rescue personnel, or emergency medical services
personnel as defined in § 32.1-111.1, he is guilty of a Class 6 felony, and
upon conviction, 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 evidence
in support of any defenses to the charge that may be available under common law.
		As used in this section, &#8220;law-enforcement officer&#8221; means any
full-time or part-time employee of a police department or sheriff&#8217;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 crime and the
enforcement of the penal, traffic, or highway laws of the Commonwealth; any
conservation officer of the Department of Conservation and Recreation
commissioned pursuant to § 10.1-115; any conservation police officer appointed
pursuant to § 29.1-200; and auxiliary police officers appointed or provided for
pursuant to §§ 15.2-1731 and 15.2-1733 and auxiliary deputy sheriffs appointed
pursuant to § 15.2-1603.
		As used in this section, &#8220;search and rescue personnel&#8221; means any
employee or member of a search and rescue organization that is authorized by a
resolution or ordinance 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 memorandum of understanding with the Virginia Department of
Emergency Management.
		The provisions of § 18.2-51 shall be deemed to provide a lesser-included
offense hereof.

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.