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New York Consolidated Laws, Penal Law - PEN § 120.19 Assault on a retail worker

Current as of January 01, 2026 | Updated by Findlaw Staff

1. A person is guilty of assault on a retail worker when, with the intent to prevent a retail worker from performing an act within the scope of such worker's employment, such person causes physical injury to such retail worker and the person knew or reasonably should have known that such individual was a retail worker.

2. For the purposes of this section:

a. “Retail worker” shall mean any person whose usual place of work is a retail establishment.  This shall include, but is not limited to, an employee of the retail establishment, an owner of the retail establishment, or a person who works in the retail establishment under arrangements made between the person and the establishment.

b. “Retail establishment” shall mean any physical business or commercial entity engaged in the sale of goods, merchandise, or services directly to consumers.

Assault on a retail worker is a class E felony.

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Cite this article: FindLaw.com - New York Consolidated Laws, Penal Law - PEN § 120.19 Assault on a retail worker - last updated January 01, 2026 | https://codes.findlaw.com/ny/penal-law/pen-sect-120-19/

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