Resisting arrest is a term used to describe a criminal charge against an individual who has committed, depending on the jurisdiction, at least one of the following acts:
▪ fleeing a police officer while being arrested
▪ threatening a police officer with physical violence while being arrested
▪ physically struggling to get out from being restrained (handcuffed or put into the police vehicle)
▪ attacking a police officer while being arrested
▪ providing an officer with false identification (either verbally or by presentation of a false official document, i.e. a fake ID)
Not all arrests are lawful and based upon probable cause. However, an attempt at resisting arrest can lead to additional charges. It is also possible that a police officer might try to justify the use of excessive force by claiming that the person was resisting arrest. At Naegle & Crider Criminal Defense Attorneys, we understand how many resisting arrest charges are based only on the testimony of the police officer without any physical evidence (such as an injury or damaged uniform) to substantiate the allegation. For this reason, many trials on resisting arrest charges in Arizona are decided exclusively on the credibility of the officer’s testimony.
If you have been arrested and charged with any crime that includes resisting arrest in Arizona, it is vital that you contact an Arizona criminal defense attorney. Even if you have been cleared of the original charge against you, a resisting arrest charge can move forward, another reason to contact an attorney familiar with the law surrounding resisting arrest immediately upon being charged. At the Naegle & Crider Criminal Defense Attorneys, Charlie Naegle will initiate the legal actions against fighting a resisting arrest charge. If this charge includes an assault on a law enforcement officer, there is an even more urgent need as it may be possible to have this charge dismissed or reduced.
Call 480-245-5550 to schedule your free anytime, anywhere consultation with attorney Charlie Naegle. When you hire the Naegle & Crider Criminal Defense Attorneys, you work directly with Charlie Naegle.