The act of obstructing, opposing or physically struggling against a law enforcement officer who is attempting to carry out a lawful arrest, encompassing conduct ranging from fleeing or refusing to comply with an officer's instructions to actively fighting off an officer's attempt to restrain the person. It is prosecuted as a distinct offense from whatever underlying charge prompted the arrest attempt, and in many jurisdictions the offense's severity is graded upward when the resistance involves violence against the officer or the use of a weapon, separate from a distinct charge of assaulting a police officer where that additional element is present.
Facts
Typical PenaltyIn California, a fine not exceeding $1,000, up to one year in county jail, or both 1 Elements of OffenseIn Massachusetts the prosecution must show the defendant prevented or attempted to prevent a police officer from making an arrest of themselves or another person 1 Classification
Offense GradeMinor or Summary Offense 1 Connections
Has Offense Grade
Entity-backed identity for the offense-grade enum value this offense already carries, resolved to a crime concept by an explicit value-to-entity map (phase 3 bucket conversion, docs\design_entity_backed_browse_buckets_20260928.md). The offense-grade fact itself stays on the offense unchanged.
Sources
1. Resisting arrest (Wikipedia)
California section
shall be punished by a fine not exceeding one thousand dollars ($1,000), imprisonment in a county jail for up to one year, or both
Massachusetts section
The defendant prevented or attempted to prevent a police officer from making an arrest of themselves or another person.
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