Handcuffed but not arrested?
They have the right to detain you. However this means keep you where you are and investigate to attempt to move beyond 'reasonable suspicion' to 'probable cause' Of course once probable cause has been established then they will arrest you. It is highly unlikely that they'd ever cuff anyone and bring them to the station unless they were arresting them. The level of detention allowed for someone when the officer just has 'reasonable suspicion' is quite limited. In some jurisdictions the maximum allowed time is 15 minutes. Generally they can put cuffs on you and put you in the back of a squad car, NOT bring you to the station. HOWEVER, police are very well versed at making 'suggestions' and 'requests' sound like orders, commands, and things they are allowed to do. Plus police are allowed to outright lie. So the cop may say 'You don't have any drugs in the car, right? So you have no problem with me searching it, right?'...heck, some cops will simply state 'Step out of the car, I am going to search it.' It is YOUR responsibility to know your rights and exercise them. YOU need to say 'I do not consent to a search of my vehicle or my person'. I suspect if you ended up handcuffed and transported to the police department it is because of a series of well placed statements, loaded questions, and other tricks which you enabled by not demanding a lawyer be present, demanding you be told the charges or be released, etc etc.
Can you be handcuffed and escorted somewhere by the police without being arrested? Do handcuffs = arrest?
Persons detained under the Baker act are not arrested. They are being detained because at that moment according to the officers discretion they appear to be a danger to themselves or others around them and the baker act is the legislative authority for a certified police officer to transport the person to a qualified mental health facility for evaluation. Yes they can use hand restraints for the officers own protection to limit the subject's movements. A person with a real mental health issue can be severely unpredictable and change from nice to nasty in the blink of an eye, so it is in the officers best interest to handcuff the person and limit the movement until release to mental health professionals. There is no criminal record if you are not formally charged with anything. For job application purposes if they want to know about being arrested, again, you can say no, and you wont be lying. Baker act is not an arrest. The only records would be the officers report of why they decided to Baker Act the subject based on behavior and/or actions, as well as the mental health facilities records which are subject to privileged communication protections since they deal with doctor / patient rights and are not subject to review by an outside employer other than the federal government in matters of evaluating suitability for positions involving National Security issues.
Can a police officer put handcuffs on you with no reason at all just to search you?
What city and state? Were you parked in a no parking zone, fire lane, handicap etc. The police can only contact you if they have a reasonable suspicion that you have committed a crime. A police officer might think a running car parked in a no parking zone across from a bank is suspicious. Upon the police contacting you they are allowed to 'detain' you if investigating a crime. Handcuffs can only be used if the officer feels you might be a threat. Fastening the handcuffs in front actually renders them useless for officer protection. Typically, the police would explain what happened and why after they determined no crime was committed. Rude does not equal illegal.
If you are arrested by the police, do you have to be handcuffed regardless of what you have done?
in the UK, i was trained that handcuffs are 'a mechanical form of restraint.' In essence, if you are likely or have been violent you will be cuffed. If you are being searched, you are detained and If you are likely to run or lash out, you will be cuffed. Its down to every individual to justify cuffing or not, either way it gets documented in either a pocketbook or a evidence and actions book upon arrest. Also if you are brought into a custody area a Sergeant has to authorize your detention and if you were handcuffed they will inspect your wrists and ask what stack was used.
Can cops put you in handcuffs without you being arrested?
Yes, they can -> and yes, they do. Cops in my area have proven time and time again that they can practically do whatever the **** they want. I, for one, never call 9-1-1 anymore because all of my experiences with cops have been bad, especially as the victim. I often see them severely abusing their rights and the rights of others with scare tactics. They say things like "I am the law" when, in fact, they are simply enforcing the law - so their job description says: "to protect and to serve". They often feel the need to say that they "are the law" to create the illusion of authority because ANYONE can enforce the law i.e. If you light up a cigarette in a no smoking area and I tell you, "hey man, would you mind not smoking that cigarette here?" -> I am enforcing the law. The only difference between myself and a cop is that the cop has academy training and weapons he can legally carry on his person and use in a violent manner. I'm scared of people like this because they have not been given a true limit -> and LORD knows they NEED one.