Also known as: pat down of the outer clothing · pat-down of the outer clothing · patdown · pat-down · Terry frisk · frisk
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A limited protective search of a suspect's outer garments for weapons. The search is permitted during a lawful Terry stop when an officer has reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous. The officer may not manipulate objects beyond what is needed to detect weapons or reach inside clothing unless specific information identifies the precise location of a weapon.
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Officer Morales pulls over a car for a broken taillight and sees passenger Pamela Phillips shifting nervously in the back seat. Morales orders Phillips out and pats down the outer clothing of her jacket and pants after noting a bulge consistent with a firearm. The patdown reveals a handgun that Morales seizes.
An anonymous caller tells police that Penelope Price is standing on a corner wearing a red jacket and carrying a gun. Officers arrive, confirm the description, and immediately pat down the outer clothing of Price's jacket. The patdown yields no weapon and the court later suppresses any evidence obtained.
During a lawful stop of Perry Pratt, Officer Torres pats down the outer clothing of Pratt's pants and feels a small hard object in a pocket. Torres immediately recognizes the object as crack cocaine by its distinctive feel and seizes it without further manipulation.
Officer Ramirez watches Phoebe Park and another person repeatedly pace in front of a closed jewelry store at night while Park adjusts a bulky item under her coat. Ramirez detains the pair and conducts a patdown of the outer clothing of Park's coat, recovering a concealed handgun.
Police detain Pavel Petrov at a bank ATM for nearly thirty minutes while investigating a possible robbery. After developing reasonable suspicion that Petrov is armed, officers perform a patdown of the outer clothing of his jacket and discover a pistol.
Officers enter a bar and pat down the outer clothing of every patron, including Piper Patel, solely because a weapon was reported on the premises. The patdown of Patel yields no weapon and the court suppresses the results of the search.
An officer may reach directly into a specific area of clothing when reliable information identifies the precise location of a weapon. The direct reach is justified by officer safety even if the tip would not support probable cause for arrest.
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…him. The officer had reasonable grounds to believe that Terry was armed and dangerous, and the search was limited in scope to a pat-down of outer clothing for weapons. The Fourth Amendment does not require that police officers, when they lack probable cause to arrest, must stand by and allow a suspect to draw a gun and…
…Court of Appeals reversed his conviction on the ground that the search of the vehicle was invalid, holding that the “Terry pat-down
…on articulable facts, may detain a suspect briefly for purposes of limited questioning and, in so doing, may conduct a brief "frisk" of the suspect to protect himself from concealed weapons. See, e. g. , United States v. Brignoni-Ponce , 422 U. S. 873, 880-884 (1975); Adams v. Williams , 407 U. S. 143, 145-146…
…or public safety is immediately at issue, that concern is sufficiently alleviated by the officer’s ability to perform a limited
…looked and sounded like a pager. They told Besore they would be monitoring his conversations. Finally, Thibodeau conducted a pat-down
No. An anonymous tip that merely describes visible characteristics and location lacks the predictive information or other indicia of reliability needed for reasonable suspicion. Officers may not conduct a patdown based solely on such a tip.
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The patdown is limited to a pat of the outer garments for weapons. Officers may not manipulate objects beyond what is necessary to determine whether they are weapons or contraband immediately apparent by touch.
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Yes. During a lawful traffic stop an officer may pat down a passenger's outer clothing if reasonable suspicion exists that the passenger is armed and dangerous, even without suspicion of other criminal activity.
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Yes. Repeated suspicious actions such as casing a store or adjusting a bulky object under clothing can supply the articulable facts needed for reasonable suspicion that a person is armed and dangerous, permitting a patdown of the outer clothing.
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