Which scenario demonstrates a legal in-home arrest without consent under the described rules?

• A. The suspect is in their own home and the officer has probable cause they are home and an arrest warrant
• B. The suspect is in a third-party home and the third party consents to entry
• C. The suspect is in a public place with probable cause
• D. The suspect is in a neighbor's home with a coincidental presence

Answer: (A)

Entering a home to arrest someone without their consent is allowed when there is a valid arrest warrant for that person and probable cause to believe they are inside the residence. In the scenario given, the person is in their own home and the officers have both probable cause and an arrest warrant for that individual. Those two elements together authorize the officers to enter the home and effect the arrest without the occupant’s consent.

The other situations don’t fit because entry into a home generally requires either the occupant’s consent or a valid warrant for the residence and the person named. A third-party’s consent to enter a home where someone else resides may not provide authority to arrest that occupant. A scenario in a public place or in a neighbor’s home isn’t an in-home arrest to begin with.