When can a private citizen make a citizen's arrest in Ohio?

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Accepted Answer

1. Statutory Authority   Ohio codifies citizen's arrest at   Ohio Rev. Code § 2935.04  : "When a felony has been committed, or there is reasonable ground to believe that a felony has been committed, any person without a warrant may arrest another whom he has reasonable cause to believe is guilty of the offense, and detain him until a warrant can be obtained."    2. Felony Standard   Ohio uniquely allows the citizen to act on reasonable ground that a felony has been committed - protecting good-faith mistakes about whether a felony occurred, in contrast to most states.    3. Misdemeanor Standard   For misdemeanors,   Ohio Rev. Code § 2935.03(A)   provides limited arrest authority primarily to peace officers and security; private citizens generally lack misdemeanor arrest authority absent presence and breach of peace.    4. Georgia Post-Arbery Comparison   Georgia repealed its broad citizen's arrest statute via   HB 479   in May 2021 after Ahmaud Arbery's killing. Ohio has not modified § 2935.04.    5. Force Permitted   Force used must be reasonable; deadly force is generally restricted to self-defense or defense of others (Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.05, § 2901.09).    6. Hand-Off Duty   The arrestee must be detained "until a warrant can be obtained" and delivered to law enforcement promptly.    7. Risks   Criminal exposure for abduction (Ohio Rev. Code § 2905.02), unlawful restraint (§ 2905.03), and assault. Civil liability for false arrest and battery.    8. Shopkeeper's Privilege     Ohio Rev. Code § 2935.041   authorizes merchants and library personnel to detain a person they have probable cause to believe is committing theft or unauthorized library material removal, in a reasonable manner for a reasonable time.    9. Stand-Your-Ground / Castle Doctrine   Ohio adopted stand-your-ground in 2021 (Ohio Rev. Code § 2901.09). This is independent of citizen's arrest authority.    10. Practical Recommendation   Ohio defense attorneys recommend calling 911 and observing rather than acting on § 2935.04 authority, given the high risk of misjudging probable cause.  This is legal information, not legal advice.