Sec. 11-49. Assault and battery and fighting.
   (a)   It shall he unlawful for any person to knowingly start a fight or to fight or to commit any assault or battery in any place in the city.
   (b)   An assault is any willful and unlawful attempt or offer, with force or violence, to do a corporal hurt to another. A battery is any willful and unlawful use of force or violence upon the person of another.
   (c)   The use or attempt or offer to use force or violence toward the person of another is not unlawful if necessarily committed by a public officer in the performance of any legal duty or by any other person assisting him or acting by his direction.
(Code 1982, § 22-303)