citizen's arrest

A citizen's arrest allows a private individual to detain someone they believe has committed a crime, usually to ensure law enforcement can take over. Typically, this is permitted if the person has witnessed a crime in progress or has reasonable grounds to suspect someone has committed a serious offense. The person making the arrest must act within legal boundaries, meaning they should only detain the suspect momentarily and hand them over to authorities promptly. Laws vary by jurisdiction, so it’s important to understand local regulations, but citizen’s arrests are intended as a last resort when immediate police help is unavailable.