During a Terry stop, a person is seized when the police have a reasonable belief that the person has no freedom to leave.

During a Terry stop, a person is seized when the police have a reasonable belief that the person has no freedom to leave.

• A. Only if the person is under arrest
• B. Only if the officer draws a weapon
• C. True
• D. False

Answer: (C)

In a Terry stop, the seizure happens when the police restrain the person’s freedom of movement in a way that a reasonable person would feel they are not free to leave. The key is the objective standard: would a reasonable person feel compelled to stay? This can occur even if the person isn’t under formal arrest, and it doesn’t require the officer to draw a weapon. A weapon display is just one factor that might contribute to a seizure, but its presence or absence isn’t required. So the statement is true: a Terry stop constitutes a seizure when the police have a reasonable belief that the person has no freedom to leave.

In a Terry stop, the seizure happens when the police restrain the person’s freedom of movement in a way that a reasonable person would feel they are not free to leave. The key is the objective standard: would a reasonable person feel compelled to stay? This can occur even if the person isn’t under formal arrest, and it doesn’t require the officer to draw a weapon. A weapon display is just one factor that might contribute to a seizure, but its presence or absence isn’t required. So the statement is true: a Terry stop constitutes a seizure when the police have a reasonable belief that the person has no freedom to leave.