The "arresting experience' is having a brush with mortality. It's a clear metaphor. "I was arrested" means that he had a brush with mortality: his or someone close to him.
And if we're speculating: I think it's heart attack. The Blackout - apart of Trump/Brexit references... is about having a heart attack. Very clear to me.
![[image]](http://www.u2start.com/images/upload/5d7a8b5aa9a23b82aaf01b7ea3ffb229.jpg){kind=link}