If you don't follow the policy of the store regarding product check, I believe that to be reasonable cause. If you just want to exercise your libertarianism, you should shop at non-totalitarian stores where they don't give a damn if you steal and raise prices.
Store employees have the right to detain and make citizens arrests. I know some one who has done it dozens of time and successfully testified about it in court.
I just posted the Ohio law.
Merchants cannot legally detain anyone unless they have a reasonable suspicion someone stole.
Merchants cannot legally search anyone.
This store illegally detained the guy AND they demanded to search him.
They take the default position that everyone is stealing but demanding that everyone prove they didn't steal when they leave the store, but subjecting them to searches.
Store policies MUST be in line with their state laws. Ohio law does not allow any merchant to detain customers without reasonable suspicion that someone stole; a reasonable suspicion would likely include observing someone taking something for which they did not pay, such as observing them putting it in a purse, under their jacket, or something similar.
Its only illegal if they force the search or detain you based on your refusal to allow a search. No matter what “they” say, the stats are that most theft is from employees.
If you don’t follow the policy of the store regarding product check, I believe that to be reasonable cause. If you just want to exercise your libertarianism, you should shop at non-totalitarian stores where they don’t give a damn if you steal and raise prices.
Your belief is incorrect. Refusing a voluntary search is not probable cause for the cops or a merchant
Most likely it is not a citizens arrest but the invoking of shopkeepers privilege. Only a fool uses citizens arrest. Also they are most likely a trained Loss Prevention specialist, who would know better that to use refusal to search as the pretext for detention.