Making an arrest (was: Wounding Shots)

[Jon Roland]

There is another scenario that has been neglected: making an arrest. Most of he situations presented involve offenses by the perp that authorize the defender to make a custodial arrest, and to use a firearm to effect that arrest. Of course, the defender should announce that it is an arrest, and perhaps cite the offense for which the arrest is being made, but a civilian has, in every state of which I am aware, most of the same arrest authority that a law enforcement officer does, at least for offenses committed in his presence. The civilian should, in general, follow the policies prevailing locally for law enforcement officers in the use of a firearm in such situations.

Moreover, civilians have a duty to make an arrest of a felony or serious misdemeanor (as provided by law), not just to avoid personal injury, if they can do so without undue risk. Civilians have the same duty officers do, just not the duty to do it on a regular duty schedule, as a job.

-- Jon

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