What constitutes a legal arrest?

A legal arrest is defined as a seizure of an individual by law enforcement officers for the purpose of bringing them before a court to answer for a crime. This seizure must be grounded in probable cause, meaning there is a reasonable belief that the person has committed a crime. The act of arrest formally restricts an individual's freedom, signaling the initiation of criminal prosecution against them.

In this context, the correct choice clearly highlights that an arrest must involve a seizure that results in the legal process beginning against the suspect. This distinguishes it from mere interactions, questioning, or consent, which do not fulfill the legal requirement to initiate prosecution.

Interactions and questioning may occur without elevating to an arrest. For example, an officer can approach a person to ask questions or gather information without making an arrest. Similarly, informed consent from an individual does not constitute an arrest; it may allow law enforcement to conduct a search or interrogation, but the objective of an arrest—sending the individual into the criminal justice system—has not been met.

Thus, the essence of a legal arrest lies in the formal, lawful seizure of an individual, with the intent to prosecute, creating a distinct separation from other forms of police engagement.