is the other runner a DA? wrote: Individuals can't press charges against other individuals. Individuals initiate civil actions, not criminal charges.
You are wrong too. A "DA" would not file charges.
1st off, the DA and those who work for him/her (assistant DAs or Deputy DAs) typically handle felony cases, not misdemeanor battery offenses like this, which would be within the province of the City attorney.
2nd, a DA is an elected official and spends most of his/her time pressing the flesh, coordinating office logistics and meeting with other public officials. DA's don't typically file and try cases, his or her employees (assistant DAs or Deputy DAs) do.
Last and certainly not least, both assault and battery are not just actionable in a criminal court, they are also valid charges in civil court and can be "pressed" against alleged Defendants. You kind of got that one right, but I just wanted to make sure you did not come off like some legal expert because obviously you are not.
And to the other poster from Jersey who claims that criminal charges can be field by private individuals, this is true in each and every state of our great nation via a citizen's arrest. But if the police don't back a private person's arrest with reports and documentation, the case ends up in the circular file.