What are the four parts of an arrest?

Prepare for the Search and Seizure Module 10 Test with comprehensive flashcards and multiple choice questions, complete with hints and explanations. Get ready to excel in your exam!

An arrest is a seizure of a person carried out with legal authority and the intent to take that person into custody. The four parts shown here are: authority to arrest (the officer has the legal power to detain); intent to arrest (the officer intends to take the person into custody, not just briefly detain them); custody (the person is actually restrained or under control); and knowledge (the person is aware they are under arrest or reasonably should know they are not free to leave). Together, these elements make an arrest a genuine, legally recognized seizure rather than a mere stop or other contact. The other options mix in ideas that aren’t required parts of every arrest—such as warrants or probable cause, which relate to how arrests can be justified but aren’t themselves the four components; or they bring in criminal elements that apply to the offense, not to the act of arrest.