A man wearing brass knuckles attacked two others men at a hot dog stand after he was kicked out of a Seattle strip club for being too drunk.

The attack occurred at about 1:30 a.m. A witness called police about a fight in progress. The 39-year-old attacker began hitting the men while wearing brass knuckles and shouting racial slurs. Police found the brass knuckles near a party bus that may have driven the attacker to the strip club.

The man was booked into county jail on suspicion of assault and a violation of conditions of his prison release.

Brass knuckles are considered a dangerous weapon under the Revised Code of Washington. Per the weapons code, every person is guilty of a gross misdemeanor who:

• Furtively carries with intent to conceal any dagger, dirk, pistol, or other dangerous weapon; or
• Uses any contrivance or device for suppressing the noise of any firearm unless the suppressor is legally registered and possessed in accordance with federal law; or
• Manufactures, sells, or disposes of or possesses any instrument or weapon of the kind usually known as slungshot, sand club, or metal knuckles, or spring-blade knife.

A slungshot (not to be confused with slingshot) is a maritime tool - a rope with a small weight that's wrapped in a knot called a “monkey fist.” They've traditionally been used to help sailors toss lines, but slungshots became popular weapons among 19th-century street gangs. They were recently decriminalized in Florida.

A sand club, also known as a blackjack, a billy club or a sap, is basically a leather-wrapped, weighted baton. Some are cylindrical, others are flat.

Per Washington State code, a spring-blade knife, also known as a switchblade, refers to any knife, including a prototype, model, or other sample, with a blade that is automatically released by a spring mechanism or other mechanical device, or any knife having a blade which opens, or falls, or is ejected into position by the force of gravity, or by an outward, downward or centrifugal thrust or movement.

However, a knife that contains a spring, detent or other mechanism designed to create a bias toward closure of the blade and that requires physical exertion applied to the blade by hand, wrist or arm to overcome the bias toward closure to assist in opening the knife is not a spring blade knife.

Just having brass knuckles (and the other weapons) in one's possession is a gross misdemeanor, punishable by up to a year in county jail, or a fine of up to $5,000, or both.

Don't be misled into thinking a gross misdemeanor is not serious because it is a “misdemeanor.” It is still a criminal charge that can have a devastating effect on a person's life if punished to the full extent of the law. That is why it is important for everyone who finds themselves facing charges to be represented by a qualified criminal defense attorney.

No matter the crime or the circumstances, if you have been arrested and face criminal charges, or if you have been falsely convicted, call the Seattle law office of Steve Karimi at (206) 621-8777 or contact him online.