Which term refers to a limited investigatory stop based on reasonable suspicion?

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

Answer: (A)

A limited investigatory stop based on reasonable suspicion is called a Terry stop. Originating in Terry v. Ohio (1968), it allows an officer to briefly detain a person and ask questions to determine whether there is probable cause for arrest. The stop is designed to be temporary and ends when the suspicion is dispelled; a frisk for weapons may accompany it if the officer has a safety reason to fear for themselves. While the phrase stop and frisk describes the combined action of stopping and frisking, the formal term for the stop itself is Terry stop. The other options don’t fit: third degree refers to a level of charges or interrogation, Uniform Crime Reports are crime statistics, and stop and frisk, though related in practice, isn’t the formal label for the stop.