Arrested Development

But before you deputize yourself neighborhood sheriff, there are a few things you need to know about making a citizen’s arrest. If done properly, you can indeed become the local hero. If done improperly, you can be at the receiving end of an expensive lawsuit or even criminal charges.

Or you could just end up looking like a Gomer Pyle...[More]

Or you could just end up looking like a corpse.

There's no one-size-fits-all and all situations are different, and what any of us would do really depends on our inclinations and the circumstances, but this is a pretty good general primer that includes deadly force situations.

I've never made a citizens arrest, but have intervened a few times in my life to stop violence to others or the threat of it. The only time I ever felt compelled to produce a tool to back my intent was in defense of myself and my family, and fortunately things did not escalate beyond that.