Terry v. Ohio (1968) -Stop & Frisk |
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Facts: A detective observed three men casing a store and suspected a robbery. He detained them and performed a pat-down locating a weapon. |
Ruling: Officers can stop and briefly detain a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous, they can only frisk for weapons. The search should only involve feeling the outer clothing for hard objects that could be weapons. |
How This Affects Law Enforcement: 1. Established stop and frisk under the 4th Amendment. 2. Officers must have reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous before performing a frisk. 3. If no reasonable suspicion exists, the officer can ask for consent to frisk, consensual frisks are lawful and acceptable. |