arrest
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arrest
The act in which a person is taken into custody by the police or another authority, usually on suspicion of a crime.
Die Polizei gab die Festnahme eines Hauptverdächtigen im Fall des Banküberfalls bekannt.
The police announced the arrest of a main suspect in the bank robbery case.
'Die Festnahme' (the arrest) is a noun derived from the separable verb 'festnehmen' (to arrest). This verb literally means to 'take' someone 'fest' (in the sense of 'securely' or 'immovably').
Die Polizei konnte den Dieb auf frischer Tat festnehmen.
The police were able to arrest the thief in the act.
Common verbs used in connection with 'Festnahme' (arrest) are 'durchführen' (to carry out), 'anordnen' (to order), or 'bestätigen' (to confirm). If a person resists, they offer 'Widerstand bei der Festnahme' (resistance during arrest).
Die Staatsanwaltschaft hat die Festnahme des Verdächtigen angeordnet.
The public prosecutor's office ordered the arrest of the suspect.
A very common formulation is 'es kam zur Festnahme' (an arrest took place). This is often used in news reports or official accounts to describe the moment of apprehension.
Nach einer langen Verfolgungsjagd kam es schließlich zur Festnahme.
After a long chase, an arrest finally took place.
The word 'Festnahme' (arrest) belongs to the official language of the police, the justice system, and the media. It is a formal and precise term.
Im Polizeibericht wurde die genaue Uhrzeit der Festnahme vermerkt.
The exact time of the arrest was noted in the police report.
arrest
Festnahme refers to the process in which an authority apprehends someone and takes them into custody. Verhaftung refers to the same process explicitly as an official measure taken by the authorities. In the case of a suspect, the two words can therefore overlap considerably; Verhaftung sounds more formal.
Die Polizei meldete die Festnahme des Tatverdächtigen noch am selben Abend.
The police reported the arrest of the suspect that same evening.
Die Behörde bestätigte offiziell die Verhaftung des Tatverdächtigen noch am selben Abend.
The authorities officially confirmed the arrest of the suspect that same evening.
