How is a Terry frisk conducted?

• A. Inside of their clothing for weapons
• B. With a warrant only
• C. Outside of their clothing for weapons
• D. In a crowded area

Answer: (C)

A Terry frisk is a quick, protective pat-down of a person’s outer clothing to check for weapons when an officer has reasonable suspicion that the person is armed and dangerous. It is conducted over the clothes, not inside them, and is limited in scope to what is needed to determine if a weapon is present. A warrant isn’t required for this kind of frisk, because it’s a brief, minimally intrusive measure taken during a lawful stop to ensure officer safety. The key idea is that the search stays on the outside of the clothing and remains narrowly tailored to weapons.