What defines reasonable suspicion for a stop?

• A. Articulable facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable officer, in light of their training and experience, to suspect that crime is occurring, just occurred, or is about to occur
• B. A personal hunch or gut feeling of the officer
• C. An anonymous tip alone without corroboration
• D. A casual observation with no context

Answer: (A)

Reasonable suspicion comes from articulable facts and circumstances that would lead a reasonable officer, based on training and experience, to suspect that crime is occurring, just occurred, or is about to occur. It isn’t a guess or gut feeling; it relies on specific, observable elements that can be explained later in court. For a stop, an officer must point to those facts and the reasonable inferences drawn from them.

This standard is higher than a mere hunch and lower than probable cause, but it requires more than a casual or vague impression. Anonymous tips alone aren’t enough unless they provide reliable, corroborated information that can be linked to the situation. Likewise, a casual observation with no context doesn’t provide the concrete facts or reasonable inferences needed.