Will I be arrested for punching a Peta women and man in the face?

Question

I was downtown Chicago yesterday and saw a group of men and women in Peta shirts surround a women and start throwing blood or some look alike blood on her. They were being really agressive and shouting at her too.

I was only a few feet away on a smoke break so I went over, a guy made a move towards me so I punched him, one of the women he was with came towards me and I knocked her out cold. The police came and everyone ran, the women was out cold and had to be taken to the hospital. The cops didn't arrest me but took my name and info off my id.

Will I be arrested or was this self defense of myself and this women on the street?

Answer 1

Just because the police do not arrest you on the spot of the incident does not mean they cannot arrest you later if they gather evidence that you committed a crime (this was assault, not self defense).

Then again, I'd like to think that I would have done exactly the same as you. Do not apologize for this, PETA deserves every punch.

Answer 2

good for you... ive never understood petas stance on violence.  It only pushes people away from what could be an otherwise good cause! there is no way to tell if youll be charged. Most of the advice is correct...if she wants to press charges and the DA wants to, you'll hear from them. but I would think there are better things to worry about. get a good lawyer and press charges back.  Most of the time it forces everyone to drop there assault charges!  

Answer 3

Just as an aside - I am an animal lover myself.  Unfortunately, people from organizations like PETA are very aggressive, fanatical people who use intimidation and try to create conflicts such as the one you were involved in order to generate publicity because they feel that anything they do is protected by the 1st amendment.  If anyone has a right to file assault charges, it should be the woman who had the substance thrown on her.  Just because someone is not physically injured does not mean that they are not a victim of assault.  You weren't arrested on the spot, which means that an investigation may be ongoing, but I wouldn't be too concerned.  Kudos to you for coming to this woman's aid.  In this day and age of people being afraid to help others due to the fear of being named in a frivolous lawsuit by less than ethical attorneys and plaintiffs who are motivated by money, I applaud you for trying to defend a woman who was basically also a victim of mob mentality.  I wish there were more people like you out there.  

Answer 4

It is not self defense. Self defense does not include situations you can get out of. You didn't even attempt to avoid the situation, in fact, you heightened it.

You could be charged with assault, absolutely.

Better hope they don't press charges.

Answer 5

I'd say it depends on whether or not the people you punched choose to press charges.

Answer 6

I have to say if you were not arrested you should be.  Although your intentions was good to help the woman out you acted the wrong way.  If the guy swung at you than punching him could be self defense if you didn't have a choice and even not he was the agressor so he wouldn't be a victim.  As for the woman I think you went to far to knock her out since she did not lay a hand on you plus not being sexist here but being a female you could have use other means to handle the situation other than knocking her out unless she was some big masucline woman ready to pounce on you.  If not you were in the wrong and she could press charges it may not stick if it's proven should took part of the harassment of other woman  and was about the assault you but that doesn't make your actions okay.  Anyway like a said before your intentions were good just some of your actions were wrong.

Answer 7

If they have your info and the people from PETA want to press charges yes they can arrest you later.  You should have left the scene before the cops got there.  You can't arrest someone if you don't now who they are.  

LOL PETA they are based here in Norfolk VA you know.  We hate them, they came on the fishing pier one day griping about how we were hurting the fish by catching them and the fishermen started whipping them with their fishing poles, needless to say they left in a hurry.  LOL

Answer 8

That is not defense at all.  In fact, you were the one that escalated the situation.  You can be charged with assault.  

Answer 9

If you don't know who this woman you defended was, you could have problems.  I wouldn't worry about the criminal aspects, since the cops and prosecutors probably know PETA tactics (they're still doing this?) and won't bother with you.  Criminally speaking, they pretty much provoked the attack.  

That doesn't take you off the hook for a civil claim, and they do have lawyers on their side.  Try to see if you can locate the woman, you may need a witness.  

Answer 10

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