Under what circumstances can a terry frisk be performed by an officer?

A Terry frisk can be performed by an officer under the circumstance of reasonable suspicion that the suspect is armed and dangerous. This principle stems from the landmark case Terry v. Ohio, where the Supreme Court determined that officers can stop and briefly detain a person if they have reasonable suspicion that the individual may be involved in criminal activity and may be armed.

The distinction here is that while probable cause is required for an arrest, reasonable suspicion is a lower standard that allows for a Terry stop and frisk. During this limited search, an officer is permitted to pat down the outer clothing of a suspect if they reasonably suspect that the individual possesses a weapon. The primary goal is to ensure the safety of the officer and others by checking for potential weapons.

The other options, while they may involve interactions with law enforcement, do not meet the specific criteria required for performing a Terry frisk. For instance, simply having probable cause to arrest does not automatically justify a Terry frisk unless there is also reasonable suspicion regarding the presence of weapons. Consent can allow an officer to conduct a search, but it is not a prerequisite for a Terry frisk. Lastly, the mere presence of visible weapons would typically lead to a more direct response rather than a Terry frisk, as an officer would be justified in