Which practice allows a brief stop and pat-down of a person when there is reasonable suspicion of danger?

• A. Stop and frisk
• B. Writ of assistance
• C. Consent search
• D. Exigent search

Answer: (A)

The practice being described is stop-and-frisk. It comes from the rule that an officer may briefly detain someone when there is reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, and may perform a protective pat-down to check for weapons if there is danger afoot. The key idea is that the stop is short and limited in scope, and the frisk is specifically for weapons to protect the officer’s safety, not a full search of the person. If nothing dangerous is found and the suspicion isn’t substantiated, the person must be released.

Writs of assistance were historically blanket search powers and are not permitted today for routine stops. A consent search hinges on voluntary agreement to search, not on reasonable suspicion of danger. An exigent search is allowed in emergencies where there’s an immediate threat or risk, but it isn’t the standard for a routine brief stop with a pat-down based on reasonable suspicion.