Quote:
Originally Posted by geronimo
I assume you are from the States. There is something like citizen's arrest in many countries, as well as the US.
"A citizen's arrest is an arrest made by a person who is not acting as a sworn law-enforcement official.[1] In common law jurisdictions, the practice dates back to medieval Britain and the English common law, in which sheriffs encouraged ordinary citizens to help apprehend law breakers."
So I guess your friend just wants to avoid the hassle - which may be wise, considering small sums ...
In my country of residence the police will show up for .50 Cents worth of stolen goods if the shoplifter can't/won't identify themselves.
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Well, yes we are in the States. The trick here is that the laws are so oddly proportioned. Keep in mind that we have civil and legal issues at the same time. An example would be if you put booby trap in your home to stop a potential break-in. And this is documented and happened many times. So, someone breaks into your home and steps on a surprise bear trap. The trap breaks his ankle and holds him in place while you wake up and call the police. The police come and arrest him and he is tried and convicted by all legal terms. While in jail he can sue you for the medical bills, pain and suffering and all that good stuff and 9 times out of 10 will win.
Half of the time if someone is attacked and they fight back too harshly, both people are charged with assault. It is almost as if the legal system is afraid of the criminals themselves to the point of protecting them. God forbid a trained ex-military person like myself defend someone against a normal civilian.
So, in his case, if someone heads out the door with a package of steaks and he grabs them by the arm, they might go to jail, but they also have the option of suing him and the company for any claimed medical issues. Of course, the company would fire him and just throw some money at the person to shut them up.