Oklahoma § 22-1343 - Detention of suspect - Purposes

§ 22-1343. Detention of suspect - Purposes

Any merchant, his agent or employee, who has reasonable grounds

or probable cause to believe that a person has committed or is

committing a wrongful taking of merchandise or money from a

mercantile establishment, may detain such person in a reasonable

manner for a reasonable length of time for all or any of the

following purposes:

(a) Conducting an investigation, including reasonable

interrogation of the detained person, as to whether there has been a

wrongful taking of such merchandise or money;

(b) Informing the police or other law enforcement officials of

the facts relevant to such detention;

(c) Performing a reasonable search of the detained person and

his belongings when it appears that the merchandise or money may

otherwise be lost; and

(d) Recovering the merchandise or money believed to have been

taken wrongfully. Any such reasonable detention shall not

constitute an unlawful arrest or detention, nor shall it render the

merchant, his agent or employee criminally or civilly liable to the

person so detained.

Laws 1967, c. 223, § 2, emerg. eff. May 2, 1967.