A Terry Stop… is the doctrine created by the 1968 Supreme Court case of Terry vs Ohio, which allows a police officer to detain a person if the officer has a “reasonable articulable suspicion” that the person being detained has committed, is committing or is about to commit a crime.

“Reasonable Articulable Suspicion“ is the conclusion drawn from the actions taken by an individual, combined with the surrounding facts and circumstances, that leads a police officer to believe that the suspicious individual has committed, is committing, or is about to commit A crime.

“Probable Cause” is The doctrine taken from the 4th amendment to the U.S. Constitution that allows a police officer to search, seize and/or arrest a person upon the belief that they have committed a crime. 

Your three most important rights at a police stop are the 4th, 5th and 6th amendments to the US Constitution.

You should never drive or leave the house without a dashboard camera for the car and/or a body camera.

Under reasonable articulable suspicion, the police are allowed to institute a small investigation to determine whether a crime has been, is being or is about to be committed. 

When a police officer ask you for your ID, your response should be… Do you have Reasonable Suspicion that I have, or am about to commit a crime?

At a Lawful Terry Stop, you are ONLY obligated to give the police your name and address. In some instances you may have to give your ID/drivers license if state law requires it. Hiibel vs Nevada

Other than giving your name or identification you DO NOT have to assist the officers in their investigation.

At a Lawful Terry Stop.. The police are allowed to frisk or pat down the suspected person for weapons ONLY if they believe that individual to have a weapon in a specific place on their body, and the officer is able articulate a belief that the suspected person is a danger to the officer and public with that weapon.

 A police officer is allowed to go in your pockets only AFTER they have probable cause to arrest you for a crime.

When the police get A 911 call, whether it be for an emergency or A check up, they are by law required to investigate The call. Upon arrival to the scene they are still required to establish reasonable articulable suspicion of a suspected CRIME before you are required to give your identification.

Suspicion alone is NOT a crime!

YES! Any and every violation or in fraction of the law no matter how small gives a police officer enough reasonable suspicion to lawfully detain you.

If you have not broken the law you do NOT have to comply with any of the officers request or demands! However be smart about your situation and ALWAYS ALWAYS make sure you’re recording!!! 

Yes the police can and most often do legally lie!! 

A police officer can only arrest you for using profanity if you use it to incite violence or to threaten the officer directly… otherwise profanity has been ruled 1st amendment speech by the Supreme Court.

A Stop and identify state is any state that has passed a law that requires any individual suspected of a crime to produce identification when they are detained, and offers a criminal penalty when that request is denied.

Other than your name and address or ID/drivers license when the state requires, you are not lawfully obligated to give the police anything else. As stated, you are not required to aid the police officers in their investigation. If the officer proceeds to ask you questions beyond your identification, simply and politely state… “ Officer I don’t answer questions!!!”

At a lawful police stop you ARE required to comply with a police officers orders.. as long as they don’t violate your constitutional rights.

If you believe you are being unlawfully arrested, you should NEVER physically resist, Only make a verbal protest of the arrest under duress and seek to punish the officer after the incident by filing charges, a complaint, a Title 42 sec. 1983 lawsuit, or a claim against their public official surety bond.

If you are being detained for an invalid reason or the officer can’t articulate any specific facts as to why you’re being detained, Simply and Politely ask them if you are being detained or if you’re free to go. If the officer still tells you that you are being detained without establishing any evidence of wrongdoing, then it is an unlawful detainment and the officer loses their “Qualified Immunity” leaving them open to a personal lawsuit and bond claim/lien. 

If an officer stops you because they say you fit the description of a suspect, you should ask the officer…

• What crime am I suspected of committing?
• What’s the description of the suspect?
• What were they wearing?
• What time did it happen?
• Where did it happen?
• Who was it done too?

Being handcuffed without probable cause is a seizure of your person, and a violation of the 4th amendment to the U.S. Constitution. 

The main purpose of every police stop is to escalate it to drugs, weapons or or DUI charges.. basically to investigate until they have acquired probable cause to arrest you.

The police are only required to read you your Miranda rights AFTER they arrest you and want to Question you.

It is 100% perfectly legal to record the police in public while on duty.

When recording police, you should stand at enough distance to not be a danger to officers while performing their duty, which is usually a minimum of 20 to 30 feet. 

 Public Official Bonds!