Although you told them they weren't under arrest, they were. Multiple court rulings make it clear: any time an agent of the government uses force, coercion, intimidation, or physical restraint (even if it's only "perceived"), that person is "seized", thus arrested.Kythas wrote:There were plenty of times when I was a cop when I and other officers present would handcuff everyone at the scene. I would tell them as I was doing it "You're not under arrest at this time. I'm simply handcuffing you for your safety and mine."
A simple traffic stop in Texas is an arrest, because the driver is not free to leave. If reds and blues constitute being "seized", then handcuffs darn sure do.