New York State Allows You to Arrest People if You’re Not Police Officer

This can get insane. You are legally allowed to arrest someone else in Western New York, even if you are not a police officer.

You would assume that this law is for extreme situations only, but it really does not have to be a serious crime in order for an ordinary New York State citizen to 'arrest you'.

It's called a 'citizen's arrest' and if you do something 'illegal' any one can arrest you at any time, for any crime.

Of course, you might be asking 'how do you arrest someone in New York State with no handcuffs? But, you can legally use rope or zip ties or anything. It might sound extreme or over-the-top, but here is what the law states:

Existing New York State law allows private individuals to arrest someone without a warrant for any crime, at any time of the day. In some circum- stances, these individuals do not even need to inform the prospective arrestee of the reason for performing the arrest.

The law doesn't state that you have a reason before you 'arrest' another citizen, but they do require you to have a justifiable reason:

Private individuals are also currently authorized by law to use "such physical force as is justifiable" to effectuate the arrest, posing a significant danger to New Yorkers. The proposal would not affect a people's ability to defend themselves or others from harm.