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steveincowtown wrote: Was looking for "deadly", as per your spitting is the same as a gun pointed at you.

The items you pointed out are either not deadly, and in the overwhelming majority of case cannot be transmitted by saliva. I won't go through all of them, but.....

Reminds me of the 80's when some folks thought HIV could be spread on a toilet seat...

I'm going to cut my comments to you right here. If you want to risk your life on what you think you know, I'm sure no one will object. You'll pardon the rest of us for being less.....well, adventurous.

Charlie's.Contingency....thank you for your concern. Thank the good Lord, she never contracted anything in her 27 years. During her career she dealt with such exotic stuff as Hantavirus Pulmonary Syndrome, Bubonic Plague, Neumonic Plague, TB (the second deadliest disease in history), Rabies, AIDS/HIV, and so many others I can't even remember them. By His grace we were spared.

Charlies.Contingency wrote: I have no intention of arguing officer vs. Civilian, but it IS an enhancement to assault an officer over a civilian.

I believe that is also true for medical professionals now as well. My wife was an ER RN Supervisor for 27 years. In one instance a guy spit in her face as he was being treated. They thought some might have gotten in her eye. The PD was summoned and the guy was carted off in cuffs and spent some time in prison. She had to undergo a battery of treatments and he had to undergo a battery of testing. Not fun for us.

steveincowtown wrote: Never said it wasn't a crime. I asked what deadly diseases are transmitted through spitting? Also, please note your article link does not support the Hep C is transmitted through spitting.

Reading is necessary:

Can Saliva Transmit Hepatitis C?
In nearly half the cases of Hepatitis C, the infected individuals cannot identify the source for their infection. While it is believed most cases are due to risk factors involving contaminated blood, there remain unidentified modes of Hepatitis C transmission. Salivary transmission is one potential explanation for many unexplained viral causes.
................from Hepatitis Central

Q: What is TB? How does it spread? How is it treated?

A: Tuberculosis (TB) is caused by bacteria (Mycobacterium tuberculosis) that most often affect the lungs. Tuberculosis is curable and preventable.

TB is spread from person to person through the air. When people with lung TB cough, sneeze or spit, they propel the TB germs into the air. A person needs to inhale only a few of these germs to become infected.

About one-third of the world's population has latent TB, which means people have been infected by TB bacteria but are not (yet) ill with disease and cannot transmit the disease.
.................from the World Health Organization

The germs that cause bacterial meningitis can be contagious. Some bacteria can spread through the exchange (e.g., by kissing) of respiratory and throat secretions (e.g., saliva or mucus).
.................from the CDC

On a side note, I can recall a time on this board when folks were a little less testy and took the time to read others post fully and provide well thought out answers.

Interesting observation.

I'm not being testy. You just have no scientific evidence on the side of your claim. Again, I really think you should go talk with people who actually deal with medical issues on a daily basis and get the straight story from them.

Incidentally, all three of those diseases I listed are every bit as lethal as your firearm. So are most of the others listed above.

steveincowtown wrote:

Charlies.Contingency wrote: You could be spitting a disease that could kill me, it's just like somebody pointing what appears to be a gun at you.

What deadly diseases are transmitted through spitting?

If we compare spitting to be like a loaded gun, we need to throw sneezing in there as well.

IMHO, the officer had a greater chance of getting infection by throwing the punches and catching one of his knuckles on her teeth than he did with her spitting on him. An open wound and saliva is bad news.

Shouldn't you be taking your arguments to the Legislature? You should have an easy time convincing them that intentional spitting in someone's face is just a harmless pastime. Until you persuade them, spitting on someone is a crime.

Unfortunately, your face has two prominent avenues of risk: eyes and mouth. I'll let you read about one:

http://www.hepatitiscentral.com/news/can_saliva_tran/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You need to spend some time learning which diseases that can kill you are transmitted by saliva. Here are a few. Hepatitis C, TB (making a big comeback), viral meningitis. Talk to Paramedics and the staff at your local ER.

No, I'm not defending the officer. I am stating that spitting on someone (LEO or not) can be dangerous, even lethal, and it is a crime.