609.2231 ASSAULT IN THE FOURTH DEGREE.
Subdivision 1.Peace officers.
Whoever physically assaults a peace officer licensed under section 626.845, subdivision 1, when that officer is effecting a lawful arrest or executing any other duty imposed by law is guilty of a gross misdemeanor and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both. If the assault inflicts demonstrable bodily harm or the person intentionally throws or otherwise transfers bodily fluids or feces at or onto the officer, the person is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than three years or to payment of a fine of not more than $6,000, or both.
Subd. 2.Firefighters and emergency medical personnel.
Whoever assaults any of the following persons and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both:
(1) a member of a municipal or volunteer fire department or emergency medical services personnel unit in the performance of the member’s duties; or
(2) a physician, nurse, or other person providing health care services in a hospital emergency department.
Subd. 2a.Certain Department of Natural Resources employees.
Whoever assaults and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm on an employee of the Department of Natural Resources who is engaged in forest fire activities is guilty of a gross misdemeanor.
Subd. 3.Correctional employees; probation officers.
Whoever commits either of the following acts against an employee of a correctional facility as defined in section 241.021, subdivision 1, paragraph (f), or against a probation officer or other qualified person employed in supervising offenders while the employee, officer, or person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both:
(1) assaults the employee and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm; or
(2) intentionally throws or otherwise transfers bodily fluids or feces at or onto the employee.
Subd. 3a.Secure treatment facility personnel.
(a) As used in this subdivision, “secure treatment facility” has the meaning given in section 253B.02, subdivision 18a.
(b) Whoever, while committed under section 253B.185 or Minnesota Statutes 1992, section 526.10, commits either of the following acts against an employee or other individual who provides care or treatment at a secure treatment facility while the person is engaged in the performance of a duty imposed by law, policy, or rule is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than two years or to payment of a fine of not more than $4,000, or both:
(1) assaults the person and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm; or
(2) intentionally throws or otherwise transfers bodily fluids or feces at or onto the person.
(c) The court shall commit a person convicted of violating paragraph (b) to the custody of the commissioner of corrections for not less than one year and one day. The court may not, on its own motion or the prosecutor’s motion, sentence a person without regard to this paragraph. A person convicted and sentenced as required by this paragraph is not eligible for probation, parole, discharge, work release, or supervised release, until that person has served the full term of imprisonment as provided by law, notwithstanding the provisions of sections 241.26, 242.19, 243.05, 244.04, 609.12, and 609.135.
(d) Notwithstanding the statutory maximum sentence provided in paragraph (b), when a court sentences a person to the custody of the commissioner of corrections for a violation of paragraph (b), the court shall provide that after the person has completed the sentence imposed, the commissioner shall place the person on conditional release for five years. The terms of conditional release are governed by sections 244.05 and 609.3455, subdivision 6, 7, or 8; and Minnesota Statutes 2004, section609.109.
Subd. 4.Assaults motivated by bias.
(a) Whoever assaults another because of the victim’s or another’s actual or perceived race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, disability as defined in section 363A.03, age, or national origin may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
(b) Whoever violates the provisions of paragraph (a) within five years of a previous conviction under paragraph (a) is guilty of a felony and may be sentenced to imprisonment for not more than one year and a day or to payment of a fine of not more than $3,000, or both.
Subd. 5.School official.
Whoever assaults a school official while the official is engaged in the performance of the official’s duties, and inflicts demonstrable bodily harm, is guilty of a gross misdemeanor. As used in this subdivision, “school official” includes teachers, school administrators, and other employees of a public or private school.
Subd. 6.Public employees with mandated duties.
A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:
(1) assaults an agricultural inspector, occupational safety and health investigator, child protection worker, public health nurse, animal control officer, or probation or parole officer while the employee is engaged in the performance of a duty mandated by law, court order, or ordinance;
(2) knows that the victim is a public employee engaged in the performance of the official public duties of the office; and
(3) inflicts demonstrable bodily harm.
Subd. 7.Community crime prevention group members.
(a) A person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:
(1) assaults a community crime prevention group member while the member is engaged in neighborhood patrol;
(2) should reasonably know that the victim is a community crime prevention group member engaged in neighborhood patrol; and
(3) inflicts demonstrable bodily harm.
(b) As used in this subdivision, “community crime prevention group” means a community group focused on community safety and crime prevention that:
(1) is organized for the purpose of discussing community safety and patrolling community neighborhoods for criminal activity;
(2) is designated and trained by the local law enforcement agency as a community crime prevention group; or
(3) interacts with local law enforcement regarding community safety issues.
This information is not all inclusive, and because of the ever-changing nature of the law, is not guaranteed to be accurate. This information, as well as additional information, is available on the Minnesota Office of the Revisor of Statutes https://www.revisor.mn.gov/pubs/. For more information, or a review of your case, please contact Ascheman & Smith for your free review. Law@AschemanSmith.com 612-217-0077