Can American Police place a person in handcuffs without arresting them?
Yes, a police can put you in handcuffs as long as they disclose their reason for doing so. The US Supreme Court has ruled that when a police officer handcuffs you (or pulls you over for a traffic infraction), that they are temporarily seizing your freedom of movement; and per the Fourth Amendment the government cannot seize anything without disclosing their reason for doing so. Regarding their drawing their weapons, they are fully permitted to do so if they reasonably believe that you are armed with a weapon. They need not file paperwork for merely drawing their weapon, but must file paperwork if they discharge their weapon.
