Arrest for assault can be made without a warrant in which scenario?

• A. In your presence
• B. Domestic violence
• C. Assault was on fire, police, EMS, public transit
• D. If the suspect signs a confession

Answer: (A)

When the crime is seen happening or just happened in the officer’s presence, the law allows a warrantless arrest. This immediate, firsthand knowledge gives the officer probable cause to detain the suspect right away, without waiting to get a warrant, which helps stop the crime and preserve evidence. In this case, being in the officer’s presence during the assault clearly fits that rule.

The other ideas don’t provide the same clear, universal basis for skipping a warrant: a confession alone isn’t enough to justify an arrest without a warrant, and while domestic violence cases can lead to warrantless arrests under certain circumstances, that isn’t the automatic rule shown by the scenario, whereas witnessing the offense is.