Is a traffic stop a Terry stop?

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asked Oct 21, 2019 in Law Enforcement/Police by Maliha (300 points)
Is a traffic stop a Terry stop?

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answered Oct 22, 2019 by Grahlu (51,270 points)
A Terry Stop is basically when the police stop and detain someone walking or riding a bike etc.

The Terry Stop in the United States law allows the police to briefly detain a person based on reasonable suspicion of involvement in criminal activity and is usually done when the person is walking or riding a bicycle etc.

When someone is stopped by the police in a vehicle that is known as a traffic stop and they can stop you for traffic violations or if they believe you're involved in a crime or if you have a tail light out etc.

But a Terry Stop is for reasonable suspicion of the person is involved in a crime or other criminal activity.

A traffic stop can seem like a Terry Stop but they are different when it comes to law.

If you're pulled over in a vehicle by a cop and then go to court then the court will reference that as a Traffic Stop and not a Terry Stop.

If you're stopped on foot or a bicycle then the courts will refer to that as a Terry Stop.

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