Resisting Arrest
G.L. c. 268, § 32B — force, threats, or a substantial risk of bodily injury
In Massachusetts, resisting arrest is knowingly preventing or trying to prevent a police officer acting under color of official authority from arresting oneself or another, by using or threatening physical force or violence, or by any other means that creates a substantial risk of bodily injury.
An unlawful arrest is not a defense, with one exception. It is no defense that the arrest was unlawful, if the officer was acting under color of authority and was not using unreasonable or excessive force giving rise to a right of self defense. It is punished by up to two and one-half years in jail, a fine of up to five hundred dollars, or both.
A police officer, for this section, is one in uniform, or out of uniform one who showed credentials while attempting the arrest.
Sources for this section (1)
- G.L. c. 268, § 32B — Resisting arrest
Legal information, not legal advice. Verified as of September 2026. Applying it to a particular situation is the work of a licensed Massachusetts attorney.