My thoughts on brandish and assault...
The brandish code, like User mentioned, is so wide ranging. Point, hold... to induce fear. The way I look at a good defense is to see how far I would take it myself. Some of us might remember when Hunter45 went to the DMV in Fair Oaks and had a security officer pop the hood on his holster with hand on the grip while walking up. My thought is if I was in a similar situation, on either end as the victim or suspect, that could have been a brandish charge and possible conviction depending on representation. If someone relieves retention on a firearm and has established a grip, then they have committed about 50% to using that tool on their belt. However, if someone is approaching in a threatening manner (balled fists, bladed stance, or possibly swinging) and this person is much larger than myself and I seriously fear that this person is going to kill me, I am justified in removing the gun from deep cover and issuing verbal commands. But on the other end, if this guy was seven feet tall, three hundred pounds, and has formal training in martial arts or some sort of physical violence, he could just as easily report the event of being in fear of his life to the police and warrants could be sworn out against me. Brandish is a catch all charge that can be used when a weapon is involved in an altercation. Same as a disorderly conduct or drunk in public can be levied on a loud mouth or a generally belligerent drunk person. While it is not more than fifty to one hundred dollars fine plus court fees, it is an annoyance to go to court for the disorderly or DIP charges.
Assault is a similar catch all type of statute. The way I remember assault in Virginia is basically "swing and a miss." Of course it can be much more, but that is my memory key. So if I am at some social event and a cat squares up, takes a swing, but misses due to intoxication, he has committed an assault. Same thing would be true if he cocked his arm back with his hand in a fan shape or fist that would indicate he is about to strike myself or my misses, or someone else. The comparison is that brandish is almost a common law comparison to assault in Virginia. Assault is like a weaponless-brandish in essence. If we take the instance of the social event swing and a miss scenario, but instead placed a baseball bat in this suspect's hand, he could be hit with a variety of charges instead of two at the minimum from the original scenario. If he swings the bat but misses, brandishing and assault. Yet, if the bat is wielded with success and connects with a victim in the body, malicious wounding possibly, assault and battery, brandish, possibly disorderly conduct or DIP as a catch all. If the suspect connects in the head of a victim, it goes to aggravated malicious wounding if there is long term damage/suffering foreseeable. While all of these are possible charges, it all comes down to what happens in court. Commonwealth Attorneys might reduce charges in effort to get a conviction rather than going for the initial charge. Criminal history, interviews, officer and witness testimony would also play a large part.
In a scenario when protection of property is the primary focus... Like approaching your car that is being vandalized or having property being removed with the intent to deprive permanently. We cannot draw and hold this suspect by force because we have not been met with force. Best case scenario is to be a good witness and just let the police handle it. But to complicate the situation, maybe a firearm, weapon, or precious property is in the vehicle, meet the suspect with verbal commands. If the suspect wields a knife, in what he believes is for HIS defense, then lethal force is available. This person has just brandished a weapon and put you in fear for your life. Articulation is the key... Even if he only had a tire iron, if this suspect backs you into an entirely defensive position and you fear for your life, lethal force will be justifiable as long as it can be explained.
Ultimately charges versus what is actually convicted can differ greatly. Sometimes crimes are so heinous the book is thrown at the criminal. Conversely, sometimes a significant charge and a supplementary charge is placed on the criminal just to get it to the CA to see how far they are willing to go.
I am definitely not a lawyer, but this is my understanding of lethal force and when it can be applied. Sadly it is not always the cut and dried easy bad guy lost, good guy won. It has to go through the entire trip from a system of enforcement to the judicial system. I carry in hopes I never have to use it. But practice scenarios, role plays, and education is the best bet that if the situation ever arise, I am confident in my decision and can, in good conscious, defend my decision accurately and intelligently.
Aggravated Malicious Wounding
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-51.2
Malicious Wounding
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-51
A+B
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-57
Brandish
http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+18.2-282