STOP AND FRISK

Illinois V. Wardlow, 528 US 119 (2000)

The unprovoked flight of a person, upon seeing the police, in a high crime area, gives the officer reasonable suspicion to chase and detain him.

Florida V. Royer, 460 US 491 (1983)

An investigative detention must be conducted in a manner that is no more intrusive than necessary to establish or dispel the officer's suspicions.

Terry V. Ohio, 392 US 1 (1968)

An officer can briefly detain a person, based upon reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, long enough to dispel the suspicion or to allow it to rise to the level of probable cause for an arrest. The officer is also permitted to do a limited "frisk" search of the person without a warrant. Before the officer can frisk search the subject, he must:

  1. Have articulable facts that the person could be armed with a weapon.

  2. Limit the search to pat searching the outer garments of the suspect to feel for objects that might be weapons.

  3. Only reach inside the clothing after feeling such objects.