2023 Colorado Revised Statutes › Title 18 - CRIMINAL CODE (§§ 18-1-101 — 18-26-102) › Article 3 - OFFENSES AGAINST THE PERSON (§§ 18-3-101 — 18-3-602) › Part 2 - ASSAULTS (§§ 18-3-201 — 18-3-210) › Section 18-3-202 - Assault in the first degree

(1)
A person commits the crime of assault in the first degree if:
(a)
With intent to cause serious bodily injury to another person, he causes serious bodily injury to any person by means of a deadly weapon; or
(b)
With intent to disfigure another person seriously and permanently, or to destroy, amputate, or disable permanently a member or organ of his body, he causes such an injury to any person; or
(c)
Under circumstances manifesting extreme indifference to the value of human life, he knowingly engages in conduct which creates a grave risk of death to another person, and thereby causes serious bodily injury to any person; or
(d)
Repealed.
(e)
With intent to cause serious bodily injury upon the person of a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical service provider, he or she threatens with a deadly weapon a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical service provider engaged in the performance of his or her duties, and the offender knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a peace officer, firefighter, or emergency medical service provider acting in the performance of his or her duties; or
(e.5)
With intent to cause serious bodily injury upon the person of a judge of a court of competent jurisdiction or an officer of said court, he threatens with a deadly weapon a judge of a court of competent jurisdiction or an officer of said court, and the offender knows or reasonably should know that the victim is a judge of a court of competent jurisdiction or an officer of said court; or
(f)
While lawfully confined or in custody as a result of being charged with or convicted of a crime or as a result of being charged as a delinquent child or adjudicated as a delinquent child and with intent to cause serious bodily injury to a person employed by or under contract with a detention facility, as defined in section
18-8-203(3)
, or to a person employed by the division in the department of human services responsible for youth services and who is a youth services counselor or is in the youth services worker classification series, he or she threatens with a deadly weapon such a person engaged in the performance of his or her duties and the offender knows or reasonably should know that the victim is such a person engaged in the performance of his or her duties while employed by or under contract with a detention facility or while employed by the division in the department of human services responsible for youth services. A sentence imposed pursuant to this paragraph (f) shall be served in the department of corrections and shall run consecutively with any sentences being served by the offender. A person who participates in a work release program, a furlough, or any other similar authorized supervised or unsupervised absence from a detention facility, as defined in section
18-8-203(3)
, and who is required to report back to the detention facility at a specified time shall be deemed to be in custody.
(g)
With the intent to cause serious bodily injury, he or she applies sufficient pressure to impede or restrict the breathing or circulation of the blood of another person by applying such pressure to the neck or by blocking the nose or mouth of the other person and thereby causes serious bodily injury.
(2)
(a)
If assault in the first degree is committed under circumstances where the act causing the injury is performed upon a sudden heat of passion, caused by a serious and highly provoking act of the intended victim, affecting the person causing the injury sufficiently to excite an irresistible passion in a reasonable person, and without an interval between the provocation and the injury sufficient for the voice of reason and humanity to be heard, it is a class 5 felony.
(b)
If assault in the first degree is committed without the circumstances provided in paragraph (a) of this subsection (2), it is a class 3 felony.
(c)
If a defendant is convicted of assault in the first degree pursuant to subsection (1) of this section, the court shall sentence the defendant in accordance with the provisions of section
18-1.3-406
.
(d)
Repealed.
(e)
For purposes of determining sudden heat of passion pursuant to subsection (2)(a) of this section, a defendant's act does not constitute an act performed upon a sudden heat of passion if it results solely from the discovery of, knowledge about, or potential disclosure of the victim's actual or perceived gender, gender identity, gender expression, or sexual orientation, including but not limited to under circumstances in which the victim made an unwanted nonforcible romantic or sexual advance toward the defendant.
(3)
Repealed.
Amended by 2020 Ch. 279,§ 8, eff. 7/13/2020.
Amended by 2016 Ch. 327,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2016.
Amended by 2016 Ch. 304,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2016.
Amended by 2015 Ch. 109,§ 3, eff. 7/1/2015.
Amended by 2015 Ch. 108,§ 1, eff. 7/1/2015.
Amended by 2014 Ch. 336,§ 5, eff. 8/6/2014.
L. 71: R&RE, p. 420, § 1. C.R.S. 1963: § 40-3-202. L. 75: (1)(d) amended, p. 632, § 6, effective July 1; (1)(a) amended, p. 618, § 7, effective July 21. L. 76, Ex. Sess.: (1)(f) added, p. 8, § 1, effective September 18. L. 77: (1)(c) amended, p. 961, § 9, effective July 1. L. 79: (2) R&RE, p. 732, § 1, effective May 18. L. 81: (1)(d) R&RE, p. 973, § 6, effective July 1. L. 86: (1)(d) amended, p. 770, § 5, effective July 1; (1)(f) amended, p. 789, § 1, effective July 1; (2)(c) and (2)(d) added, p. 776, § 2, effective July 1. L. 90: (1)(f) amended, p. 991, § 1, effective April 5; (1)(e.5) added and (2)(c) amended, p. 986, §§ 7, 8, effective April 24. L. 94: (1)(f) amended, p. 2655, § 137, effective July 1. L. 95: (1)(d) and (2)(d) repealed, p. 1250, § 6, effective July 1. L. 97: (2)(a) amended, p. 1544, § 13, effective July 1; (1)(e) amended, p. 1011, § 15, effective August 6. L. 98: (2)(c) amended, p. 1441, § 25, effective July 1. L. 2002: (2)(c) amended, p. 1512, § 186, effective October 1. L. 2003: (1)(f) amended, p. 1430, § 16, effective April 29. L. 2014: (1)(e) amended, (HB 14-1214), ch. 1496, p. 1496, § 5, effective August 6. L. 2015: (3) added, (SB 15-005), ch. 314, p. 314, § 1, effective July 1; (3)(d) repealed, (SB 15-126), ch. 318, p. 318, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2016: (1)(g) added, (HB 16-1080), ch. 1327, p. 1327, § 1, effective July 1; (3) repealed, (HB 16-1393), ch. 1226, p. 1226, § 3, effective July 1. L. 2020: (2)(e) added, (SB 20-221), ch. 1369, p. 1369, § 8, effective July 13.
For the legislative declaration contained in the 1994 act amending subsection (1)(f), see section 1 of chapter 345, Session Laws of Colorado 1994. For the legislative declaration contained in the 2002 act amending subsection (2)(c), see section 1 of chapter 318, Session Laws of Colorado 2002. For the legislative declaration in SB 20-221, see section 1 of chapter 279, Session Laws of Colorado 2020.