Warrantless arrests based on eyewitness complaint: which is an example?

• A. Shoplifting
• B. Assault and Battery
• C. Destruction of Property
• D. Brandishing Firearm

Answer: (B)

Warrantless arrests rely on probable cause—that a crime has occurred and that the person before the officer committed it. An eyewitness statement can provide that probable cause, especially when the crime involves harming another person and is observable by a bystander. Assault and battery fits this scenario well because it is a crime against a person that a witness is likely to have directly observed, making it reasonable for an officer to arrest without a warrant based on that eyewitness account. The other options involve property or non-violent offenses and don’t demonstrate the same clear, immediate basis for a warrantless arrest from a single eyewitness report.