citizen's arrest

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Related to Civilian arrest: Miranda rights, breach of the peace, felony, nightwalking, Indictable offence

citizen's arrest

an apprehending of a person by a member of the public. It is assumed in the UK that a private citizen (including a police constable) may arrest another without warrant if the citizen has witnessed the commission of a serious crime. Any force used must be reasonable (or in certain limited circumstances where there has been no unlawful conduct but there is a real threat of a breach of the peace interfering with the rights of another that would involve unreasonable violence).

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Human-rights organizations charge that these militias terrorize people they assume to be undocumented immigrants, violate state laws limiting militia activities and civilian arrests, escalate the potential for violence, and maintain links to racist hate groups.

Men with guns: churches, human rights groups, border crossers, and civilian militias are mixing it up on the U.S.-Mexico border

Perhaps Congress assumes that it will always only be 'they' who are targeted for arrest and military detention: but sadly, Parliamentary leaders are the first to face pressure, threats, arrest and even violence when the military obtains the power to make civilian arrests and hold civilians in military facilities without due process.

Congress signs its own arrest warrants

Despite demands from community members to prosecute vigilante groups for violating state statutes prohibiting the formation of militias, kidnapping, conducting illegal civilian arrests, and violating state land permits, state officials have not filed any charges.

Borderland security: vigilantes are far from the fringe in Arizona. Instead, organizers say, ranchers and border agents mirror a violent border society where racial profiling abounds and prosecution of abuse is rare

He also has been responsible for more than 40 civilian arrests on charges of conspiring to bring drugs into a facility.