In Nevada, assault means unlawfully attempting to use force against another person or intentionally placing another person in reasonable fear of bodily harm. If an assault is alleged without the use of a deadly weapon, the penalty ranges up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine. If, however, you are accused of committing an assault with the use of a deadly weapon, the penalty is up to six years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000. A deadly weapon includes not only items that are designed to be able to inflict substantial bodily harm or death, such as a knife or a gun, but also objects that, when used offensively, are capable of causing death or substantial bodily harm, such as a baseball bat or an automobile.
Defenses to assault often include that the alleged assault was an act of self-defense, that the accused had no intention of using force against another person or did not have the intention to place another person in fear, and that the person allegedly assaulted could not have reasonably been in fear of sustaining an injury.