Elsie Law's Daily Dose Of The Law

"CASE EXAMPLE: Officer Fish sees a suspect take a camera from an outdoor sales stall and run without paying for it. The officer calls for the suspect to stop, but the suspect continues to run away.

QUESTION: What force may the officer use to arrest the suspect?

ANSWER: Officer Fish has personally observed the suspect commit a misdemeanor, and therefore has probable cause to make an arrest. But the officer can not shoot the suspect or use other serious force. If the suspect refuses to halt and the officer can not chase the suspect, the officer would have to try to make an arrest at a later time." -From, "The Criminal Law Handbook"