What is a "Terry stop"?

A "Terry stop" refers to a brief detention of an individual when a law enforcement officer has a reasonable suspicion that the person is involved in criminal activity. This legal concept arises from the landmark Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, which established that police officers are allowed to stop and briefly detain a person for investigative purposes, based on concrete and articulable facts that suggest the individual may be engaged in criminal behavior.

During a Terry stop, the officer may also perform a limited pat-down of the individual's outer clothing for weapons if they have reason to believe that the person may be armed and dangerous. The reason for this is to ensure the safety of both the officer and the public.

The key aspect of a Terry stop is that it is not based on probable cause, which is required for an arrest, but rather on a lower threshold of reasonable suspicion. This distinction allows officers to engage in investigative stops that serve as a preventive measure in crime control while still respecting individuals’ Fourth Amendment rights against unreasonable searches and seizures.