[steve86]

Physical contact not always required. That's battery territory.

Assault and battery often bring up images of the typical fight or brawl, and some states combine the two offenses. However, the terms are actually two separate legal concepts with distinct elements. In short, an assault is an attempt or threat to injure another person, while a battery would be actually conftacting another person in a harmful or offensive manner.

[luvbach1]

OK, battery.

[ptsal]

bkmk assault battery

[Silentgypsy]

Correct.

[Cboldt]

The “assault” “battery” differentiation varies depending on the body of law. The distinction you make applies in civil/tort law, but many if not most criminal codes assign the label “assault” to what civil law calls “battery.”