Legal Definitions - weapon

weapon

An object that is either specifically designed to injure or kill someone, or an object that is used in a way that causes injury or death.

• Example 1: A hunting rifle is a weapon because it is designed for the purpose of killing animals, and can be used to kill a person.

  Explanation: The rifle's inherent design and primary function involve lethal force, making it a weapon.

• Example 2: A heavy glass bottle, though not designed as a weapon, becomes one if someone uses it to strike another person during an argument.

  Explanation: In this scenario, the bottle is being used with the intent to injure, thus fulfilling the definition of a weapon.

concealed weapon

A weapon that a person is carrying but cannot be seen through ordinary observation.

• Example 1: A small pistol tucked into a person's waistband and covered by their shirt, making it invisible to others.

  Explanation: The weapon is being carried, but its hidden placement prevents it from being seen by someone simply looking at the person.

• Example 2: A switchblade knife kept inside a person's pocket, where it is not visible to anyone observing them.

  Explanation: The knife is present on the person but is not exposed to plain sight, meeting the criteria for a concealed weapon.

dangerous weapon

An object or device that, due to the specific way it is used, has the potential to cause serious physical harm.

• Example 1: A heavy metal pipe, typically used in construction, becomes a dangerous weapon if someone swings it at another person's head with force.

  Explanation: While not inherently a weapon, the pipe's weight and the manner of its use in this context make it capable of inflicting severe injury.

• Example 2: A car, normally a mode of transportation, is considered a dangerous weapon if a driver intentionally uses it to run over pedestrians on a sidewalk.

  Explanation: The vehicle's size and speed, combined with its deliberate misuse, give it the capacity to cause serious bodily harm.

deadly weapon

Any firearm, device, material, or substance that, based on how it is used or intended to be used, is likely to cause death or serious physical injury.

• Example 1: A loaded hunting crossbow aimed and fired at a person's chest.

  Explanation: The crossbow, when used in this manner, is highly likely to cause death or severe internal injuries.

• Example 2: A syringe filled with a potent neurotoxin injected into someone's bloodstream.

  Explanation: The substance and its method of delivery are specifically intended and likely to result in death.

• Example 3: A large, sharp kitchen cleaver used to repeatedly strike someone.

  Explanation: The nature of the object and the violent manner of its use make it highly probable that it would cause death or serious physical injury.

deadly weapon per se

A weapon that is inherently deadly, meaning its very nature or ordinary use is expected to cause death or serious physical injury, without needing to consider the specific circumstances of its use.

• Example 1: A fully automatic machine gun.

  Explanation: This type of firearm is designed exclusively for rapid, lethal force, and its ordinary function is to cause death or severe injury.

• Example 2: A hand grenade.

  Explanation: A hand grenade's sole purpose is to explode and cause widespread death or severe injury, making it inherently deadly.

lethal weapon

See deadly weapon.

weapon of mass destruction (WMD)

WMD stands for Weapon of Mass Destruction.

A weapon designed to kill human beings on a massive scale, without distinguishing between soldiers and civilians.

• Example 1: A biological weapon containing a highly contagious and deadly virus released into a major city.

  Explanation: This weapon is intended to spread disease rapidly and indiscriminately, causing widespread death among the population.

• Example 2: A chemical weapon deploying nerve gas over a populated area.

  Explanation: The nerve gas is designed to incapacitate or kill a large number of people, regardless of their status, over a broad geographic area.

• Example 3: A nuclear bomb detonated in a metropolitan region.

  Explanation: The immense destructive power of a nuclear weapon is intended to cause catastrophic loss of life and infrastructure on an unparalleled scale, affecting combatants and non-combatants alike.