In New York, a private person or a police officer commits the tort of false imprisonment or false arrest when they detain someone without legal authority. Wrongful imprisonment is an unlawful restraint of an individual and can cause psychological and physical damages.For the tort of false arrest. The intentional tort of assault occurs when one causes another person to be afraid that they will be the victim of harmful or offensive conduct. The Court also enters summary judgment for the plaintiffs on their claims for false arrest, false imprisonment, assault and battery. We shall thus refer to the two torts together as false imprisonment. False imprisonment, 1 year (Civil), CPLR 215(3). Fraud, 6 years, CPLR213(8). False imprisonment is an act punishable under criminal law as well as under tort law. Under tort law, it is classified as an intentional tort.