Q: My mother gave me (20) a painful bruise while trying to take a roll of tape from me and I was not sure what I can do
I am 20 first off. I also still live with my parents. The incident happened while I was trying to work on our deck outside and she told me I was doing it wrong. I said no when she asked for the roll of tape. I then felt threatened when she started approaching me and turned away from her. She then grabbed onto me from behind and gave me a bruise on my arm that is still easily visable 3 days later. I don't want to feel threatened by my own mom as she has had issues controlling her anger for many years now. She is also an alcoholic and drinks 3-5 drinks every night and gets drunk. I do have some evidence of her being aggressive in the form of a video and pictures of the bruise every day.
A: You could report the assault to the police- they would investigate and determine if an arrest or summons was warranted. If they arrested her for assault, the judge could impose a protection order to protect you from her. However, in Colorado, domestic violence refers to folks who a in an intimate relationship, not strictly a familiar relationship and an arrest and protection order aren't mandatory in your case. You could also apply for a civil protection order against her without being involved in the criminal court. The problem is, you live in her house, so that would need to be addressed somehow.
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