Legal Definitions - citizen's arrest

Citizen’s arrest is when a regular person arrests someone instead of a police officer. This is allowed in certain situations, like when the person sees a violent crime happening and detains the criminal. It is legal to do this without getting in trouble for interfering with someone else’s rights.

• In Texas, a person can arrest someone committing a felony or a crime against the public peace in front of them.
• In California, a person can arrest someone for a crime committed in their presence, or if they have reasonable cause to believe the person committed a felony.

For example, if someone sees a person breaking into a car and detains them until the police arrive, this is a citizen’s arrest. The person who made the arrest is not breaking the law because they witnessed a crime and acted to stop it.