According to Penal Code 240, what is classified as an assault?

According to Penal Code 240, assault is defined specifically as an act in which a person intentionally causes another to fear an immediate harmful or offensive contact. This means that the essence of assault lies not in actually causing physical harm, but rather in the intention and the act of creating a threat of harm without any justification. Therefore, the correct choice reflects that an individual can be charged with assault if they threaten someone with harm, even if no physical contact or injury occurs.

The classification of assault emphasizes the importance of intent and the threat itself rather than the act of causing physical harm. Thus, someone who threatens another person with harm fulfills the criteria for assault as outlined in the penal code. In contrast, the other options either misinterpret the specifics of assault by suggesting that physical harm is necessary or introduce elements that do not fully align with the legal definition of assault as provided in Penal Code 240.