Legal Definitions - violent crime

A violent crime refers to a criminal offense where an individual uses or threatens to use physical force against another person. These crimes are characterized by the intent to cause bodily harm, injury, or death, or by actions that place another person in fear of such harm.

Here are some examples illustrating what constitutes a violent crime:

• Example 1: A person, while attempting to steal a car, physically shoves the driver out of the vehicle and then speeds away. The driver sustains minor scrapes and bruises from the fall.

  Explanation: This scenario illustrates a violent crime because the perpetrator used direct physical force (shoving) against the victim to achieve their criminal objective (car theft), resulting in physical contact and minor injury.

• Example 2: During a home invasion, an intruder ties up the residents and threatens them with a knife while searching for valuables, though no one is physically cut or stabbed.

  Explanation: This is considered a violent crime because the intruder used the threat of physical force (displaying a knife) and physical restraint (tying up residents) to instill fear and control the victims, even without directly inflicting a wound.

• Example 3: Two individuals get into an argument at a bar, which escalates when one person punches the other repeatedly in the face, causing a concussion and several broken teeth.

  Explanation: This clearly demonstrates a violent crime as it involves the direct and intentional application of physical force (punching) that results in significant bodily injury to the victim.