A citizen’s arrest is a common law power that allows private citizens to arrest individuals they witness committing a crime. The power of citizen’s arrest varies from state to state, but it generally applies to felonies and other serious crimes. To make a citizen’s arrest, the citizen must witness the crime being committed and have a reasonable belief that the person they are arresting committed the crime.
Citizen’s arrests are important because they help to ensure that criminals are apprehended and brought to justice. They can also help to prevent crimes from occurring in the first place. In some cases, citizen’s arrests have even saved lives.
