If you would like more information, please contact Paulette Chapman of Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P
When you play outdoor winter games, you need to select a location that is out of the way and in a public area. If you are staging a planned or impromptu outdoor ice hockey game, snowboarding competition or snowball fight, it is your responsibility to make sure the game does not interfere with the rights of others and does not interfere with traffic flow on Washington, D.C. city streets. It is further your responsibility to make sure a winter event does not get out of hand and that you take the proper precautions to ensure the event does not turn into an assault situation.
A large yet organized snowball fight turned ugly. It happened when an off-duty officer confronted the crowd with his gun drawn. Initially, he exited his vehicle after a snowball, stemming from the snowball fight, struck the patrol car. The officer told the crowd he drew his gun because snowballs hit him. However, witnesses said the officer rushed into the crowd and grabbed the man he thought who threw a snowball at him.
An assault occurs when there is a weapon involved or if someone physically threatens a victim. A snowball fight that turns ugly can easily lead to assault charges, if it gets out of hand. While organizing the snowball fight, caution should be taken when deciding where to hold the event and that location’s proximity to motorized traffic. An accident could have occurred from one of these snowballs. Care should have been taken in the choice of location to ensure others would not be harmed.
If you or a loved one is a victim of assault, you should contact a qualified Washington, D.C. personal injury attorney at Koonz, McKenney, Johnson & DePaolis L.L.P.