Also known as: Terry frisk · Terry stop and frisk · Terry stop · reasonable suspicion frisk
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A limited pat-down of a person's outer clothing for weapons. The search is justified when an officer possesses reasonable suspicion that the individual is armed and dangerous during a lawful Terry stop.
Tiana Tan stands outside a closed store late at night after an anonymous caller reports she will meet a buyer there with a concealed pistol. The officer approaches based on the tip's accurate prediction of her arrival and location. Observing her nervous demeanor and the specific weapon report, the officer conducts a limited outer pat-down that reveals the gun in her waistband.
Tanner Thompson circles a warehouse repeatedly at 3 a.m. while checking door seals with a flashlight. Officer Ruiz, a veteran with cargo-theft experience, stops him after the pattern suggests scouting for theft. Ruiz's training leads her to infer Thompson may be armed, so she performs a brief outer frisk that locates a knife.
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An officer needs reasonable suspicion that the person stopped is armed and dangerous. This suspicion is assessed under the totality of the circumstances and may rest on specific information about a concealed weapon even if the tip alone would not support probable cause.
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Yes when the officer possesses specific information pinpointing the exact location of a suspected weapon. The direct reach is reasonable if delay for a preliminary pat-down would expose the officer or others to imminent danger.
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An anonymous tip can justify the frisk when it carries sufficient indicia of reliability such as accurate prediction of the suspect's future movements. The tip must be evaluated together with other circumstances under the totality standard.
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Officers may draw on experience and training to interpret conduct that would appear innocuous to a lay observer. Patterns such as repeated surveillance of secure areas or nervous behavior near high-crime locations can combine with other facts to support suspicion that the person is armed.
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