All things considered, I'm lucky I was only very minimally injured.

The worst outcome in this instance, for an allegation that can be boiled down to a misunderstanding but due to law will be viewed as reckless behavior, is that my natural instinct to preserve myself could cost me a future I've been working tirelessly towards. I want so badly to continue being an educational assistant to special needs children. But now, there is a huge chance that I will be fired and perceived as a violent criminal from this day forward - even if I'm not outright convicted. The thought alone has haunted me constantly this past week and keeps me up all night.

It's nearly impossible to be optimistic, even when I do feel justified in my actions.