What is citizen's arrest?

[thompsonconnor357]

What is citizen's arrest? How does it work?

 

[Sweetheart]

This is an arrest made by a person who is not a law enforcement officer. A person stopping a criminal from committing a crime. They would turn them over to the police.
The person making a citizen's arrest is leaving themselves open to possible law suit or criminal charges themselves of false imprisonment, unlawful restraint, kidnapping, or wrongful arrest. If the wrong person is apprehended or civil rights are violated this can cause legal problems for the person making a citizen's arrest. It is a noble act, but should be done with certainty.

 

[Rocky55119]

As Sweetheart stated above, that's what a citizen's arrest is.

Now the terms per state are different, and scary. I don't get how if you're stopping a crime you could be sued for it, that just doesn't make sense in my book. I feel if the regulations were more clear and welcoming for citizen's to help stop crime in their neighborhoods, a lot less deaths and injuries would occur.

However you face the possible risk of civillian injury, but if you think of it... stopping someone who could kill a number of people later now and not face risk of "false imprisonment" and "being sued" alot more people would be open to help out police, including me.

 

[LitoLawless]

I always thought citizen's arrest was when a person that is not associated with law enforcement in any way helps or takes down a criminal of some sort. I think that it also applies when a citizen helps with a clue or a tips that was integral in taking down a criminal.

 

[pattycake]

As Sweetheart stated above, that's what a citizen's arrest is.

Now the terms per state are different, and scary. I don't get how if you're stopping a crime you could be sued for it, that just doesn't make sense in my book. I feel if the regulations were more clear and welcoming for citizen's to help stop crime in their neighborhoods, a lot less deaths and injuries would occur.

However you face the possible risk of civillian injury, but if you think of it... stopping someone who could kill a number of people later now and not face risk of "false imprisonment" and "being sued" alot more people would be open to help out police, including me.

But wasn't Richard Ramirez taken down by a citizen's arrest? Didn't a group of guys in the neighborhood chase him and beat him down and then held him for the police? Okay, and then George Zimmerman did a civilian shooting on a black teenager minding his own business, and Zimmerman wasn't sued and was even acquitted.

 

[Rocky55119]

But wasn't Richard Ramirez taken down by a citizen's arrest? Didn't a group of guys in the neighborhood chase him and beat him down and then held him for the police? Okay, and then George Zimmerman did a civilian shooting on a black teenager minding his own business, and Zimmerman wasn't sued and was even acquitted.

Not that you WILL be sued, but they can sue you if you arrest them if it isn't something like a felony or you use too much force. However I feel that anybody should be able to arrest somebody if they break a law that is major, such as theft, which is usually a misdemeanor unless it has a sum of $500+ stolen.

 

[sillylucy]

I do not want to attempt to perform a citizens arrest because you can get harmed in the process and you might get sued as well. I would just report it and then leave it up to the police to handle.