A Terry Stop refers to...

A Terry Stop refers to...

• A. A brief detention of a person by police on reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity but short of probable cause to arrest
• B. A formal arrest
• C. A search incident to arrest
• D. A long-term surveillance

Answer: (A)

The concept is that a Terry Stop is a brief detention by police based on reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity, short of probable cause to arrest. This standard, established in Terry v. Ohio, allows officers to stop and briefly investigate when they have specific, articulable reasons to believe a person is connected to criminal activity. During a Terry Stop, officers may question and, if they have reasonable belief that the person is armed and dangerous, perform a limited frisk for weapons. The detention must be limited in duration and scope to the purpose of the investigation, and the person should be released if the suspicion no longer exists. It is not a formal arrest, nor a search incident to arrest, nor long-term surveillance.

The concept is that a Terry Stop is a brief detention by police based on reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity, short of probable cause to arrest. This standard, established in Terry v. Ohio, allows officers to stop and briefly investigate when they have specific, articulable reasons to believe a person is connected to criminal activity. During a Terry Stop, officers may question and, if they have reasonable belief that the person is armed and dangerous, perform a limited frisk for weapons. The detention must be limited in duration and scope to the purpose of the investigation, and the person should be released if the suspicion no longer exists. It is not a formal arrest, nor a search incident to arrest, nor long-term surveillance.