Q: Can I press charges after being pepper sprayed by roommate's girlfriend?
I was in my home when my roommate and his girlfriend began yelling at each other. I approached them to try to calm my roommate down, and his girlfriend pepper sprayed both of us. I washed my eyes out, but my face and eyes burned for a week, and I haven't fully recovered my vision. My eyes still burn, and I feel unsafe in my home. The police were not called at the time, and I'm unsure if my roommate plans to press charges. Can I press charges against my roommate's girlfriend, and what steps should I take given my ongoing discomfort and feeling of unsafety?
A: You may call the police and ask them to take a report. You may also file a civil lawsuit if you feel it is worth doing so.
Justia Ask A Lawyer is a forum for consumers to get free answers to basic legal questions. Any information sent through Justia Ask A Lawyer is not secure and is done so on a non-confidential basis only.
The use of this website to ask questions or receive answers does not create an attorney–client relationship between Justia and you, or between any attorney who receives your information or responds to your questions and you, nor is it intended to create such a relationship. Additionally, no responses on this forum constitute legal advice, which must be tailored to the specific circumstances of each case. You should not act upon information provided in Justia Ask A Lawyer without seeking professional counsel from an attorney admitted or authorized to practice in your jurisdiction. Justia assumes no responsibility to any person who relies on information contained on or received through this site and disclaims all liability in respect to such information.
Justia cannot guarantee that the information on this website (including any legal information provided by an attorney through this service) is accurate, complete, or up-to-date. While we intend to make every attempt to keep the information on this site current, the owners of and contributors to this site make no claims, promises, or guarantees about the accuracy, completeness or adequacy of the information contained in or linked to from this site.
