Suburban Law Enforcement Academy (SLEA) BA State Certification Practice Exam

What can Tanya be charged with after threatening Maria but not physically hitting her?

1. Battery

2. Assault

3. Harassment

4. False imprisonment

The correct answer is: Assault

Tanya can be charged with assault after threatening Maria because assault typically involves the intentional act of creating a reasonable fear of imminent harm in another person. In this scenario, even though no physical contact occurred, the threat made by Tanya constitutes a perception of potential harm, which fulfills the criteria for assault. The key element here is the threat itself and the fear it instilled in Maria, which is sufficient for this charge to apply. Battery, on the other hand, requires actual physical contact, which did not occur in this situation. Harassment would involve a pattern of behavior intended to disturb or provoke, which doesn't align with the single act of making a threat. False imprisonment involves the unlawful restraint of a person’s freedom of movement, which is not applicable since there was no restraint in this case. Thus, the circumstances clearly align with the definition of assault.