Should this reporter have been arrested?

If you want to get technical, yes, a security guard is a civilian. But do me a favor, check with a security guard where you work and ask him 1) can he legally detain an individualand 2) can he legally arrest an individual. Get back to me. I'd like to read the answer.

 

I looked it up, boots. We don't have much private security here, but I do have friends who were campus police -- which is the rough equivalent.

And they have told me they are allowed to detain felony suspects until the city police come. Other than that, all they can do is issue parking tickets.

Maybe security companies have policies that prohibit guards from physically detaining a suspect for fear of physical confrontations and lawsuits.

But, as has been posted, in 49 states, any citizen-- including security guards -- can detain a felony suspect.

 

I appreciate your answer but you also answered your own question. Campus police are different than regular security company personnel. Most campus are like jurisdictions of their own. I thought we were talking about security officers. Because of lawsuits, security companies frown upon its agents trying to detain people.

 

So I take it that the security guards who carry guns are unable to detain people but they can shoot them dead?

That makes sense.

 

Boots gets argumentative when he's not getting laid. Give the kid a break. I quit responding to his foolish responses.

 

If I'm not mistaken, armed security guards can only draw their weapons when their lives are threatened.