False imprisonment is any unlawful restraint of a person, whether by confinement in a jail or elsewhere, by threats or by force. An unlawful arrest, called a false arrest, is a form of false imprisonment. But false imprisonment also may follow a legal arrest. False imprisonment is an offense against both the victim and the state. The victim may sue for damages, charge the offender with a crime, or both. False imprisonment can be charged against such state entities as a local police department as well as against civilian entities, such as a department store.
