What distinguishes a Terry stop from an arrest?

• A. A Terry stop is a brief detention based on reasonable suspicion; an arrest requires probable cause and custody.
• B. A Terry stop requires a warrant; an arrest does not.
• C. A Terry stop applies to traffic violations; arrests apply to felonies.
• D. A Terry stop is indoors only; arrests outdoors.

Answer: (D)

Terry stops are brief investigative detentions grounded in reasonable suspicion, meaning the officer has a plausible, articulable reason to pause and briefly question or frisk the person to ensure safety or to confirm or dispel suspicion. They are temporary and non-custodial in the sense that the person is not yet fully seized for crime; no warrant is needed for the stop, and the intrusion is limited in scope and time.

Arrests, on the other hand, are formal seizures that place the person in custody. They require probable cause to believe the person has committed a crime, and they involve a greater level of restraint and a transfer of liberty, often accompanied by later rights advisements. Arrests are not limited to a particular location, and while warrants can be involved in some situations, the key distinction is the level of suspicion and the custody element.

Location alone does not distinguish the two—Terry stops can occur indoors or outdoors, just as arrests can occur in any setting. The statement about indoor-only stops does not reflect how these encounters actually work. The fundamental difference lies in the standard of suspicion and whether the person is in custody versus briefly detained for investigation.