Which tort involves the threat of force against another that creates a well-founded fear of imminent harmful or offensive contact?

• A. Battery
• B. Assault
• C. False imprisonment
• D. False arrest

Answer: (B)

Assault focuses on the threat or attempt to inflict harmful or offensive contact and the resulting reasonable fear that such contact is imminent. The essential point is that the victim experiences a well-founded apprehension of imminent harm, even if no actual touch occurs. By contrast, battery requires that actual harmful or offensive contact take place. False imprisonment and false arrest deal with restricting or restraining a person’s liberty, not threats of contact. For example, aiming a loaded gun at someone and threatening to shoot creates assault because it puts the person in reasonable fear of imminent harm, even if no contact ever occurs. If contact did occur, that would be battery (and could also raise other issues, but assault centers on the threat and the perceived immediacy).