Uniformed Officers Are Driving a Marked Car into an Area

question 3

Multiple Choice

Uniformed officers are driving a marked car into an area known for heavy drug trafficking, intending to investigate drug activity and anticipating encountering drug customers and lookouts. One officer sees the suspect standing next to a building and holding an opaque bag. The suspect looks in the direction of the officers and flees. The officers turn their car, watch the suspect run through an alley, and eventually corner him on the street. One officer leaves the car, stops the defendant, and conducts a frisk of the defendant, discovering a concealed handgun.
-Which of the following statements is true regarding the legality of the "stop and frisk"?

• A) The stop was illegal. The officers did not have specific, articulable facts to justify the stop.
• B) The stop was legal. A brief investigative stop can be justified by the circumstances.
• C) The stop was legal. The gun provided probable cause to justify the stop, a standard of proof higher than reasonable suspicion.
• D) The stop was illegal. The officers didn't find any drugs on the suspect.

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Definitions:

Distribution of Power

The way power is allocated and exercised within a society, organization, or relationship, impacting decision-making and control.

Impersonal Institutions

Organizations or structures that operate without regard to individuals' personal feelings or situations, often focusing on procedures, rules, and regulations.

Metacommunication

Communication about communication; the underlying messages or meanings in what is said or done.

Relational Goals

Objectives aimed at establishing or maintaining specific types of relationships with others.