Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:
1. That §18.2-282 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:
§18.2-282. Pointing, holding, or brandishing firearm, air or gas-operated weapon, or object similar in appearance; penalty.
A. It shall be is unlawful for any person to
point, hold, or brandish any firearm or
any air
air-operated or gas operated gas-operated weapon or any
object similar in appearance, whether capable of being fired or not, in such
manner as to reasonably induce fear in the mind of another or hold a firearm or
any air
air-operated or gas operated gas-operated weapon in a
public place in such a manner as to reasonably induce fear in the mind of
another of being shot or injured. However, this section shall not apply to any
person engaged in excusable or justifiable self-defense.
Persons violating A person who violates
the provisions of this section shall be is guilty of a Class 1
misdemeanor or, if the violation occurs upon any public, private, or religious elementary,
middle, or high school, including
buildings and grounds or upon public property within 1,000 feet of such school
property, he shall be such person is guilty of a
Class 6 felony.
B. If a person violates subsection A by pointing, holding, or brandishing any firearm or any air-operated or gas-operated weapon or any object similar in appearance, whether capable of being fired or not, at another person knowing or having reason to know that such other person is a law-enforcement officer, the sentence of such person upon conviction shall include a mandatory minimum term of confinement of six months.
C.
Any police
law-enforcement officer in the performance of his duty, in
making an arrest under the provisions of this section, shall not be civilly
liable in damages for injuries or death resulting to the person being arrested
if he had reason to believe that the person being arrested was pointing,
holding, or brandishing such firearm or air air-operated or gas operated gas-operated weapon, or object
that was similar in appearance, with intent to induce fear in the mind of
another.
C. D. For the
purposes of this section, the
word "firearm":
"Firearm"
means any weapon that will or is designed to or may readily be converted to
expel single or multiple projectiles by the action of an explosion of a
combustible material. The word
"ammunition," as used herein, shall mean a cartridge, pellet, ball,
missile or projectile adapted for use in a firearm.
"Law-enforcement officer" means the same as that term is defined in §9.1-101.
2. That the provisions of this act may result in a net increase in periods of imprisonment or commitment. Pursuant to §30-19.1:4 of the Code of Virginia, the estimated amount of the necessary appropriation is $0 for periods of imprisonment in state adult correctional facilities and cannot be determined for periods of commitment to the custody of the Department of Juvenile Justice.