Wake County Assault & Bond Information

Assault With a Deadly Weapon

Understand the exact deadly-weapon assault charge shown on a Raleigh or Wake County custody record, verify the current release conditions, and determine when a licensed bondsman may help.

You may call even when the exact abbreviation, weapon description, booking number, or bond amount is not yet known.

Is Assault With a Deadly Weapon a Misdemeanor or Felony?

Decode the Charge Entry

Choose the entry that best matches the custody record. Abbreviations may vary across court, jail, and electronic record systems. Do not rely on the abbreviation alone when the complete charge wording is available.

Information to Gather

Copy every entry exactly rather than relying on a verbal summary. Incomplete information should not stop someone from calling.

Common Abbreviations

Abbreviations are convenience labels. The official charge wording and current release order control.

Misdemeanor Assault With a Deadly Weapon

Under current N.C.G.S. § 14-33(c)(1), an assault, assault and battery, or affray involving the use of a deadly weapon may be classified as a Class A1 misdemeanor when another statute does not provide greater punishment.

The misdemeanor offense by itself is not a Class A-through-G felony under the current G.S. 15A-531 violent-offense definition. Another charge on the record may independently qualify.

Do not publish or rely on a standard misdemeanor deadly-weapon bond amount. The judicial official makes an individualized decision.

Felony Deadly-Weapon Assaults

Under current N.C.G.S. § 14-32, the following felony classifications apply. Do not discuss possible sentences or predict case outcomes.

What Counts as a Deadly Weapon?

Whether an alleged object qualifies as a deadly weapon can involve the object itself, the manner in which it was allegedly used, and the circumstances. The custody record may identify items such as a firearm, knife, vehicle, blunt object, or another object alleged to have been used as a weapon.

Questions about whether the object legally qualifies, whether it was used, whether the defendant possessed it, whether it was capable of causing serious injury, whether it was loaded or operable, whether self-defense applies, and whether the charge should be reduced belong with qualified criminal defense counsel.

When a weapon or firearm was allegedly used against an officer or government employee, a separate charge may apply under G.S. 14-34.2 or G.S. 14-34.5. Review the deadly-weapon assault charge guide for officer cases for those specific classifications.

A bondsman cannot determine whether an object legally qualifies as a deadly weapon.

Assaulting by Pointing a Gun

Under current N.C.G.S. § 14-34, Assaulting by Pointing a Gun is a separate Class A1 misdemeanor. The current statute applies whether the gun or pistol is alleged to have been loaded, unloaded, pointed "in fun," or pointed for another alleged reason.

This charge is not automatically the same as misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, felony deadly-weapon assault, assault with intent to kill, discharging a firearm into occupied property, carrying a concealed weapon, or possession of a firearm by a prohibited person. Each separately listed charge may have its own bond or release condition.

Do not analyze whether a particular object was legally a gun or whether it was actually pointed. Those are legal questions for counsel.

Serious Injury and Intent to Kill

These phrases are legally significant charge distinctions. Serious injury appears in deadly-weapon charges such as AWDWISI and AWDWIKISI. Intent to kill appears in AWDWIK and AWDWIKISI.

• The custody record may not contain detailed evidence
• The charge label alone does not prove the alleged injury or intent
• A bondsman does not determine whether serious injury or intent existed
• Medical records, witness statements, intent, and evidence are criminal-case issues
• The family should copy the exact charge rather than shorten every version to 'assault with a weapon'

For a detailed comparison of serious injury, serious bodily injury, and deadly-weapon injury charges, review the difference between serious injury and serious bodily injury.

Does This Charge Count as a Violent Offense for Release?

Under current N.C.G.S. § 15A-531, the definition of "violent offense" includes qualifying Class A through G felonies having assault, physical force, or threatened physical force as an essential element. The felony offenses under G.S. 14-32 listed on this page are Class C or Class E assault felonies and should be evaluated under the violent-offense release provisions.

Under current G.S. 15A-534(b1), a defendant charged with a violent offense is subject to a rebuttable presumption concerning release. If release is authorized for a first violent offense, the statute requires a secured bond or house arrest with electronic monitoring and a secured bond. Additional requirements apply to qualifying second or subsequent violent offenses.

The judicial official—not the bondsman—decides whether release is appropriate and sets the conditions. The bondsman cannot bypass the judicial determination or monitoring requirement.

These misdemeanor charges do not qualify merely by themselves under the Class A-through-G felony definition: misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon and assaulting by pointing a gun. Another charge on the same record may independently qualify.

Domestic Versus Non-Domestic Cases

A deadly-weapon assault may also involve domestic release procedures when the alleged relationship and offense meet current G.S. 15A-534.1 requirements. The deadly-weapon charge and the domestic relationship are separate questions.

Help verify whether the alleged victim is a current or former spouse, a person with whom the defendant lives or previously lived as if married, a person with whom the defendant has or had a dating relationship, or another person covered by the current statute.

A judge determines conditions in cases covered by G.S. 15A-534.1. A bondsman cannot act until an eligible secured bond has been authorized. Domestic and violent-offense rules may both need to be evaluated. No-contact, stay-away, monitoring, firearm, or other conditions may apply. The actual release order controls.

For complete relationship-based arrest and release information, review the domestic-violence arrest and release procedures.

Bond-Status Decoder

What Happens After an Arrest in Wake County?

1. 1
   Arrest and transportation
2. 2
   Booking and entry of every charge
3. 3
   Alleged injury, weapon-related charge labels, criminal history, and release information are reviewed
4. 4
   Domestic or violent-offense procedures are applied when required
5. 5
   A judicial official determines release conditions
6. 6
   The family verifies every bond, no-release entry, monitoring requirement, and hold
7. 7
   A licensed bondsman reviews an eligible secured bond
8. 8
   Approved paperwork, premium, payment, and collateral requirements are completed
9. 9
   The bond is posted
10. 10
    The detention facility completes release processing

A bondsman does not determine whether the alleged object was a deadly weapon, whether serious injury occurred, whether intent to kill existed, whether violent-offense rules apply, whether domestic procedures apply, set or reduce the bond, remove no-contact or firearm conditions, remove outside holds, or control final detention-center processing time.

Multiple Weapon or Firearm Charges

One arrest may contain separate entries involving misdemeanor assault with a deadly weapon, felony deadly-weapon assault, pointing a gun, discharging a firearm into occupied property, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of a firearm by a prohibited person, possession of a weapon on educational property, violation of a protective order, communicating threats, attempted murder or another serious offense, property damage, resisting an officer, failure to appear, probation-related matters, or another county's warrant.

Each entry may have a separate release condition. Posting one eligible secured bond may not produce release when another charge, no-release entry, monitoring requirement, or outside hold remains unresolved.

Release Conditions

The release order may include no contact with the alleged victim, stay-away conditions, restrictions involving a residence, school, workplace, or other place, firearm possession restrictions, surrender-related firearm requirements, travel restrictions, electronic monitoring, house arrest, restrictions involving alcohol or controlled substances, restrictions involving identified people or property, and other conduct conditions.

What Can Delay Bond Posting or Release?

No fixed release time should be promised.

Cost, Payment, and Collateral

Approval may depend on the total secured-bond amount, number and level of charges, violent-offense findings, electronic-monitoring requirements, domestic conditions, prior court history, cosigner qualifications, residence and employment information, ability to maintain contact, collateral when applicable, and additional underwriting risk.

For detailed affordability information, review the bail bond payment options. Payment arrangements do not reduce the court-ordered bond. Not every deadly-weapon charge requires collateral.

What a Bondsman Can and Cannot Do

What to Do Right Now

After Release

Related Assault Charge Guides

Helpful Resources

Frequently Asked Questions

Questions About a Deadly-Weapon Charge?

Call Raleigh Bail Bonds with the defendant's full legal name, date of birth, current custody location, charges, file numbers, and secured bond amount if available. We can help verify the exact charge, whether violent-offense or domestic procedures apply, and whether a secured bond is currently eligible.

Last reviewed August 2026 by a licensed North Carolina bail bondsman. This page provides general information about bail and pretrial release. It does not interpret a specific release order, provide legal advice, or replace emergency safety services. Questions about deadly-weapon classification, evidence, serious injury, intent to kill, self-defense, firearm possession, and case outcomes belong with a qualified criminal defense attorney.