629.30 ARRESTS; BY WHOM MADE; AIDING OFFICER.
Subdivision 1. Definition. Arrest means taking a person into custody that the person may be held to answer for a public offense. "Arrest" includes actually restraining a person or taking into custody a person who submits.
Subd. 2. Who may arrest. An arrest may be made:
(1) by a peace officer under a warrant;
(2) by a peace officer without a warrant;
(3) by an officer in the United States Customs and Border Protection or the United States Citizenship and Immigration Services without a warrant;
(4) by a private person.629.37 WHEN PRIVATE PERSON MAY MAKE ARREST.
A private person may arrest another:
(1) for a public offense committed or attempted in the arresting person's presence;
(2) when the person arrested has committed a felony, although not in the arresting person's presence; or
(3) when a felony has in fact been committed, and the arresting person has reasonable cause for believing the person arrested to have committed it
629.38 PRIVATE PERSON TO DISCLOSE CAUSE OF ARREST.
Before making an arrest a private person shall inform the person to be arrested of the cause of the arrest and require the person to submit. The warning required by this section need not be given if the person is arrested while committing the offense or when the person is arrested
on pursuit immediately after committing the offense. If a person has committed a felony, a private person may break open an outer or inner door or window of a dwelling house to make the arrest if, before entering, the private person informs the person to be arrested of the intent to make the arrest and the private person is then refused admittance.
629.39 PRIVATE PERSON MAKING ARREST TO DELIVER ARRESTEE TO JUDGE OR PEACE OFFICER.
A private person who arrests another for a public offense shall take the arrested person before a judge or to a peace officer without unnecessary delay. If a person arrested escapes, the person from whose custody the person has escaped may immediately pursue and retake the escapee, at any time and in any place in the state. For that purpose, the pursuer may break open any door or window of a dwelling house if the pursuer informs the escapee of the intent to arrest the escapee and the pursuer is refused admittance.
https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=629.30https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=629.37https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=629.38https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/?id=629.39While most will probably agree that a citizen placing another citizen under arrest is a *huge* risk (both physically and legally), and quite possibly a really bad idea in general, it
is a power very specifically spelled out in MN law. I have discussed this hypothetical situation with several lawyers and other firearms instructors, as it is a question that comes up from time to time. My understanding is that this is currently a gray area, as the requirement to be an unwilling participant, and the right to execute a citizens arrest appear to be at odds with one another. Personally, I believe that executing a right granted me by the state of MN specifically to further the public good (citizens arrest) should not necessarily nullify my right to defend myself if the situation escalates into a lethal force encounter.
That being said, my advice would be the following: do not attempt to place someone under citizens arrest unless there is a significant public risk if you don't (such as subduing a serial rapist until police arrive, etc). Also you should presume that in doing so that you may have given up your right to legally use lethal force if the situation goes bad.
I am not a lawyer, so this is simply my own personal opinion. Hopefully this incident will add some clarity to this type of situation.