Can you make a Terry stop and if so, how far can you go?

A Terry stop, also known as a stop-and-frisk, is a brief detention of a person by law enforcement based on reasonable suspicion that the individual is involved in criminal activity. The key aspect of a Terry stop is that it must be based on specific and articulable facts that suggest the individual may be engaged in wrongdoing, rather than a mere hunch.

The concept of a reasonable distance is important; law enforcement officers can conduct a Terry stop only for a brief duration and only for as long as necessary to confirm or dispel the suspicion that led to the stop. This includes allowing officers to ask the individual questions, check identification, or conduct a limited pat-down for weapons if they feel the person may be armed and dangerous.

Furthermore, the stop must occur in a public place where the individual does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. The scope of the stop is limited to the circumstances that justified it, meaning officers cannot extend the stop indefinitely or transform it into an arrest without probable cause. This boundary ensures that the person's rights are protected while allowing law enforcement to perform their duties based on reasonable suspicions.

In contrast, options reflecting a requirement for probable cause or a broad definition of where the stop can occur do not align with the established