IllinoisVs.

Wardlow(2000)
AstoldbyAlexanderNazimolvDavisEsq.,DanielleOhumukiniEsq.,TravisFortalizaEsq.,and
RolandPatziEsq.

InChicago,Illinois,OfficersNolanandHarveywereworkingasuniformedofficersinthe
specialoperationssectionoftheChicagoPoliceDepartment,canvassingalocalneighborhood
knownfordrugdealing.Theofficersweretravelinginthelastvehicleofaneightofficer,fourcar
caravanbecausetheyexpectedtofindalargecrowdofpeopleincludinglookouts,dealersand
theircustomers.OfficerNolanobservedrespondentWardlowstandingnexttothebuilding
holdinganopaquebag,andwhenhelookedinthedirectionoftheofficers,hefled.Once
officerscaughtuptohim,theyperformedaprotectivepatdowntocheckforweapons.They
alsonoticedthewhiteopaquebagandperformedanexteriorsearchofthebag.Uponfeelinga
heavy,hardobjectsimilartotheshapeofagun,theofficeropenedthebaganddiscovereda
.38caliberhandgunwith5liveroundsofammunition.TheofficersarrestedWardlow.
Wasthe
officersstopandfriskofWardlowjustifiedunderTerryv.Ohio?

Rule(asfromTerryv.Ohio):

Tofindanappropriateruleconcerningthiscase,weneedtolookforcaseswithsimilar
circumstances.ThesecircumstancescanbeseeninTerryv.OhiotodecidewhetherOfficer
Nolansstopandfriskwasjustified:apoliceofficerisentitledfortheprotectionofhimselfand
others
intheareatoconductacarefullylimitedsearchoftheouterclothingofsuchpersonsin
anattempttodiscoverweaponswhichmightbeusedtoassaulthim(
Terryv.Ohio
).

...carefulexplorationoftheoutersurfacesofapersonsclothingalloverhisorherbodyinan
attempttofindweaponsis
not
asearch(page99,pgh4)

Butwedealherewithanentirerubricofpoliceconductnecessarilyswiftactionpredicated
upontheonthespotobservationsoftheofficeronthebeatwhichhistoricallyhasnotbeen,
and,asapracticalmatter,couldnotbe,subjectedtothewarrantprocedure(pg100101,pgh
4andpgh1)

...thepoliceofficermustbeabletopointtospecificandarticulablefactswhich,takentogether
withrationalinferencesfromthosefacts,reasonablewarrantthatintrusion(pg101,pgh2)
Counter^^

*randomfact*
Americancriminalshavealongtraditionofarmedviolence,andeveryyearin
thiscountrymanylawenforcementofficersarekilledinthelineofduty,andthousandsmoreare
wounded.Virtuallyallofthesedeathsandasubstantialportionoftheinjuriesareinflictedwith
gunsandknives(pg102,pgh2)

Asearchforweaponsintheabsenceofprobablecausetoarrest,however,must,likeanyother
search...belimitedtothatwhichisnecessaryforthediscoveryofweaponswhichmightbe
usedtoharmtheofficerorothersnearby,andmayrealisticallybecharacterizedassomething
lessthanafullsearch(pg103,pgh3)

Analysis/Application

Reasonable,welldefinedsuspicionthatcriminalactivityisafootneedstobe
establishedinordertostopandfrisksomeone
.Forexample,
thisislikeTerryvOhio
wherethepolicecanhaveareasonablesuspicionofcriminalactivity
.Officersdidhave
reasonablesuspiciontofriskWardlowbecause,as
thepolicemansaid,
heranright
towardsus.Wardlowwasrunningawayfromthecop
andlookingsuspicioussothey
hadtherighttofriskhim.
Theofficers
arrivedat
aneighborhoodthatis
knownfor
sellingdrugs.They
caughtupto
Wardlow
because
theythought
hewasrunningawaybuttheyfoundhim
carryingagun.InTerryvOhio,theyhadenoughevidencebecauseheandhisfriends
wereactingsuspicious.Inthiscasethepolicemanssuspicionwasrightandtheyfound
Terryandhisfriendcarryingguns.Hewasinahighcrimeareaandfledfromthepolice
officers.

TherewasreasonablesuspiciontostopandfriskWardlowbecausehewas1)inahighcrime
areaand2)heranawaywhenhesawthepolice
.
Thefactthatitwasahighcrimearea
wasntsufficientbyitself,butofficerscan'tignorethefactthattherewasalotofcrimeinthat
area.(pg119)

Itwasnotmerelyrespondentspresenceinanareaofheavynarcoticstraffickingthataroused
theofficer'ssuspicionbuthisunprovokedflightuponnoticingthepolice.Ourcaseshavealso
recognizedthatnervous,evasivebehaviorisapertinentfactorindeterminingreasonable
suspicion.(pg122,pgh2)

Headlongflightwhereveritoccursistheconsummateactofevasion:itisnotnecessarily
indicativeofwrongdoing,butitiscertainlysuggestiveofsuch.(pg122paragraph3)

Thus,thedeterminationofreasonablesuspicionmustbebasedoncommonsensejudgments
andinferencesabouthumanbehavior.

Butunprovokedflightissimplynotamererefusaltocooperate.Flight,byitsverynature,isnot
goingaboutonesbusinessinfact,itisjusttheopposite.Allowingofficersconfrontedwith

suchflighttostopthefugitiveandinvestigatefurtherisquiteconsistentwiththeindividualsright
togoabouthisbusinessortostayputandremainsilentinthefaceofpolicequestioning.(

Conclusion:

WastheofficersstopandfriskofWardlowjustifiedunderTerryv.Ohio?
Yes,
becausehewasrunninginthedirectionawayfromthecopsuponhisnoticingthem.His
flightreactionmadeseemlooklikehewasdoingsomethingwrong.
Hisrunningaway
fromthecopswarrantedthecopssuspiciontothink,helookedinourdirectionand
beganfleeing,saidofficerNolan.
Thismadeusthinkhemustbedoingsomething
wrongorillegal,orwhyelsewouldherun?

ArgumentsWeNeedtoCounter:

(pg.125,pgh1)Cannotbesurerespondentwasfleeingfromtheofficersnordidherecognize
themassuch.

(pg.125,pgh3)...unprovokedflightdoesnotinvariablyleadtoreasonablesuspicion.