Man Arrested for 1889 "Duel" After Fatal Street Fight

Police in Washington D.C. have made a rare arrest using a 135-year-old law. A man is charged with dueling after a street fight resulted in another man's death. The incident occurred last week. According to police, the suspect and the victim had agreed to fight each other on a public street. This pre-arranged confrontation led authorities to apply the old statute. The charge references a law from 1889 that specifically bans dueling. The legal definition of a duel is a pre-arranged combat with deadly weapons. Police confirm the fight involved knives. The suspect now faces charges for dueling and second-degree murder. This unusual application of a historic law highlights the formal agreement to fight, which police say differentiates it from a spontaneous attack.