What does the term "arrest" entail in criminal law?

The term "arrest" in criminal law primarily refers to the actual restraint of a person to prevent their freedom. This involves a law enforcement officer taking a person into custody, which typically means physically restraining them or exercising control over their movements. The key element here is the action of taking someone into custody, which limits their freedom to leave.

While other options may involve steps related to the legal process or law enforcement activities, they do not encapsulate the concept of an arrest as directly as the physical restraint does. For example, the issuance of a warrant is a procedural mechanism that allows law enforcement to arrest a suspect but is not the act of arrest itself. A police officer's decision to stop and question a suspect is a different encounter known as a "stop and frisk," which does not constitute an arrest unless the officer then decides to detain the person. Lastly, an announcement of charges pertains to the formal charging process following an arrest rather than the act of making an arrest itself.

Thus, the essence of an arrest focuses on the physical and legal constraints placed upon a person, prioritizing their direct detainment as the core definition.