In Minnesota, an assault can be committed by hitting someone, or even attempting to hit someone, meaning physical contact or injury to the victim are not required. All that is required is a person’s intent to inflict injury, or cause fear of injury on the victim. With that being said, there are a number of factors that determine the severity level of the offense, ranging from 1^st degree to 5^th degree assault. Those factors are the level of the injury inflicted, who the victim is, whether a weapon was used, and your motivations for the assault.