Also known as: Terry stop · Terry frisk · stop and frisk
Written by attorneys · grounded in primary & secondary sources — see below
A brief investigatory detention of a person by police based on reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. Officers may also conduct a limited pat-down for weapons when they reasonably believe the person is armed and dangerous.
Thaddeus Tran receives an anonymous call describing a man in a red jacket who will exit a specific building at noon and meet a contact. Officers observe the exact sequence unfold and detain Tran. The accurate prediction of future conduct supplies the indicia of reliability needed to justify the stop.
Tamara Tan is lawfully patted down during a Terry stop. The officer feels a small rock-like object in her pocket whose incriminating character is immediately apparent. The officer seizes the item without further manipulation, rendering the seizure valid under the plain-feel doctrine.
Select any source to read its text and confirm it supports the definition.
Timothy Tang loiters near a fenced substation at night. A utility worker reports that Tang bragged about carrying a pistol in his waistband. Drawing on experience with similar threats, the officer detains Tang and reaches directly to the described location to secure the weapon.
Tracy Torres is stopped for speeding and appears intoxicated. Officers observe a large bulge under the front seat and conduct a limited search of the passenger compartment for weapons. The protective search yields marijuana that is later admitted at trial.
Trevor Tate and a companion pace in front of a store, peer inside repeatedly, and confer. An experienced officer concludes they are casing the premises for a robbery. The officer stops the men and pats them down, discovering revolvers that support later charges.
Tyrone Tran flees headlong upon seeing officers in a high-crime area. The unprovoked flight combined with the location supplies reasonable suspicion for a Terry stop. Officers detain Tran and recover a firearm during the ensuing frisk.
Reasonable suspicion based on specific and articulable facts that criminal activity is afoot. The standard is lower than probable cause and is evaluated under the totality of the circumstances.
Supporting sources
Yes when the officer possesses specific information that a weapon is hidden in that precise location. The intrusion must remain narrowly tailored to officer safety.
Supporting sources
No. Additional specific facts are required. Unprovoked flight or other suspicious conduct may combine with the location to satisfy the standard.
Supporting sources
Yes when the tip carries sufficient indicia of reliability, such as accurate prediction of the suspect's future movements that suggest inside knowledge.
Supporting sources
…roots of that right in the First Amendment, Stanley v. Georgia , 394 U.S. 557, 564 (1969); in the Fourth and Fifth Amendments, Terry v. Ohio , 392 U.S. 1, 8-9 (1968), Katz v. United States , 389 U.S. 347, 350 (1967), Boyd v. United States , 116 U.S. 616 (1886), see Olmstead v. United States , 277 U.S. 438, 478 (1928)…