Detention of suspected shoplifter--Reasonableness--Grounds

Any owner or seller of merchandise, who has reasonable grounds to believe that a person has committed retail theft pursuant to § 22-30A-19.1 , may detain such person, on or off the premises of a retail mercantile establishment, in a reasonable manner and for a reasonable length of time: (1) To request identification; (2) To verify such identification; (3) To make reasonable inquiry as to whether such person has in his or her possession unpurchased merchandise and, to make reasonable investigation of the ownership of such merchandise; (4) To inform a law enforcement officer of the detention of the person and surrender that person to the custody of a law enforcement officer; and (5) In the case of a minor, to inform a law enforcement officer, a parent, guardian, or other private person interested in the welfare of the detained minor and to surrender custody of the minor to such person. An owner or seller of merchandise may make a detention as permitted in this section off the premises of a retail mercantile establishment only if such detention is pursuant to the immediate pursuit of such person. Source: SL 1989, ch 199 , § 2; SL 2005, ch 120 , § 73.