An officer stops a person travelling in their car based on reasonable suspicion. The officer requests that the person step out of the vehicle and the person complies. The officer immediately notices a tattoo on the arm of the person that is common among members of a particular gang in the area known to engage in violence toward officers, thus giving the officer reasonable suspicion to believe the person may be armed. The officer has not secured the person. At this point the officer is legally permitted to:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The officer is legally permitted to frisk the person based on reasonable suspicion, but cannot search any part of the vehicle without a warrant or consent. However, the officer can search any part of the passenger compartment where a weapon could be kept, as this is within the scope of the frisk for officer safety. Searching the locked trunk would require a warrant or consent.

An Officer Stops a Person Travelling in Their Car Based