What does battery mean, and what are the consequences if you are convicted of battery upon a police officer? Battery can be a simple pushing of an officer; you do not have to slap or punch the officer to be convicted of battery of a police officer. Should you have an encounter with a police officer and decide to have an irrational sense of courage during your encounter, you may want to first go shopping for a nice orange jumpsuit.
LSA R.S. 14:33 & 14:34.2 govern:
PAY PARTICULAR ATTENTION TO 14:34.2 B. (1) & B (3).
§33. Battery defined
Battery is the intentional use of force or violence upon the person of
another; or the intentional administration of a poison or other noxious
liquid or substance to another.
§34.2. Battery of a police officer
A. (1) Battery of a police officer is a battery committed without the
consent of the victim when the offender has reasonable grounds to
believe the victim is a police officer acting in the performance of his
duty.
(2) For purposes of this Section, “police officer” shall include
commissioned police officers, sheriffs, deputy sheriffs, marshals,
deputy marshals, correctional officers, federal law enforcement
officers, constables, wildlife enforcement agents, state park wardens,
and probation and parole officers.
(3) For purposes of this Section, “battery of a police officer”
includes the use of force or violence upon the person of the police
officer by throwing feces, urine, blood, saliva, or any form of human
waste by an offender while the offender is incarcerated by a court of
law and is being detained in any jail, prison, correctional facility,
juvenile institution, temporary holding center, halfway house, or
detention facility.
B.(1) Whoever commits the crime of battery of a police officer shall be
fined not more than five hundred dollars and imprisoned not less than
fifteen days nor more than six months without benefit of suspension of
sentence.
(2) If at the time of the commission of the offense the offender is under the jurisdiction and legal custody of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections, or is being detained in any jail, prison, correctional facility, juvenile institution, temporary holding center, halfway house, or detention facility, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars and imprisoned with or without hard labor without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence for not less than one year nor more than five years. Such sentence shall be consecutive to any other sentence imposed for violation of the provisions of any state criminal law.
(3) If the battery produces an injury that requires medical attention, the offender shall be fined not more than one thousand dollars or imprisoned with or without hard labor for not less than one year nor more than five years, or both. At least thirty days of the sentence imposed shall be served without benefit of parole, probation, or suspension of sentence.
C. The definition of a “police officer” as provided in Paragraph (A)(2) of this Section shall be strictly construed solely for the purposes of this Section and shall not be construed as granting the authority to any agency not defined as a “peace officer” pursuant to the provisions of R.S. 40:2402 to make arrests, perform search and seizures, execute criminal warrants, prevent and detect crime, and enforce the laws of this state.