Which term describes a limited investigatory stop based on reasonable suspicion?

• A. Terry stop
• B. Stop and frisk
• C. Uniform Crime Reports
• D. Third degree

Answer: (A)

A Terry stop is a brief investigatory detention based on reasonable suspicion. It comes from Terry v. Ohio (1968) and lets an officer briefly stop and question someone to determine whether criminal activity is afoot, without requiring probable cause. The stop must be limited in time and scope and, if safety concerns arise, may be followed by a limited frisk (pat-down) for weapons, but the frisk is an additional step—not the stop itself. This distinguishes it from a full arrest, which requires probable cause, and from stop-and-frisk as a broader practice. The other options don’t describe this specific, legally defined brief detention based on reasonable suspicion.