Opinion ID: 4525522
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: Tynes Had Reasonable Suspicion

Text: Information relayed to police by a third party can support a Terry stop if “the communication . . . possessed sufficient indicia of reliability.” Brown, 448 F.3d at 250. A key factor in this reliability analysis is the identity of the tipster: while anonymous tips may be reliable enough, see Navarette, 572 U.S. at 404, courts give greater weight to tips from “known informant[s] whose reputation[s] can be assessed and who can be held responsible if [their] allegations turn out to be fabricated.” Florida v. J.L., 529 U.S. 266, 270 (2000). 4 McNulty knew the tipster’s “precise identity.” (App. at 77.) The two had several previous interactions, during which the tipster had provided credible information leading to at least one arrest. See Adams v. Williams, 407 U.S. 143, 146 (1972) (affirming constitutionality of Terry stop based on tip where the “informant was known to [the officer] personally and had provided [the officer] with information in the past”). And on the day in question, the tipster contacted McNulty directly through her private cell phone, on which McNulty had the tipster’s name saved. See United States v. Nelson, 284 F.3d 472, 482 (3d Cir. 2002) (holding a tip reliable where informant “had a previous relationship with the police,” “used a private line,” and “asked for [a specific police officer] by name”). Cephas argues more was needed noting, among other things, that McNulty had no face-to-face interaction with the tipster, and that the tipster did not explain or provide the basis for the information provided. But we have always examined the “totality of the circumstances,” with “no single factor [being] dispositive or even necessary.” United States v. Johnson, 592 F.3d 442, 449 (3d Cir. 2010). Here, on balance, we conclude the tip was reliable. Cf. United States v. Torres, 534 F.3d 207, 212 (3d Cir. 2008) (concluding an anonymous tip was reliable because police knew the identity of the informant’s employer).
Tynes also had “a particularized and objective basis” for believing that Cephas and his companion were engaged in criminal activity. United States v. Goodrich, 450 F.3d 552, 560 (3d Cir. 2006). Cephas argues that Tynes lacked reasonable suspicion because he did 5 not observe drug activity when he arrived on the scene. And Cephas notes the men’s clothing did not perfectly match the tipster’s description.3 But the totality of the facts tell a different story. Cephas and his companion were the only two individuals at the intersection. See Goodrich, 450 F.3d at 562–63. The location was in a “[h]igh-drug, high-crime area.” (App. at 97.) See United States v. Valentine, 232 F.3d 350, 356–57 (3d Cir. 2000). And Tynes’s interaction with Cephas began less than fifteen minutes after police received the tip. See Goodrich, 450 F.3d at 562. And we cannot ignore Cephas’s attempt to walk away from Tynes after their initial interaction. Tynes thought it was “odd” that Cephas would walk into the house while Tynes was holding his identification, and believed Cephas might have been “trying to escape” or “to get rid of” contraband. (App. at 106–08.) Tynes was also concerned for his safety, and wondered whether Cephas was “retrieving a weapon” or “[c]all[ing] more people outside the house” to “surround[]” him. (App. at 107.) Taken together, it is reasonable to interpret Cephas’s action as “nervous, evasive behavior.” Wardlow, 528 U.S. at 124. And looking at the “totality of circumstances,” reasonable suspicion existed for the stop. Johnson, 592 F.3d at 449. 3 The tipster said that one of the men “was wearing blue jeans and a gray shirt, and the other . . . a white shirt and white shorts.” (App. at 77.) The District Court found that the tipster’s sartorial description was accurate on “three out of the four items of clothing” mentioned, but does not specify which item was erroneously described. (App. at 13.) Cephas asserts that both he and the other man were wearing black pants, but does not otherwise challenge the tip’s accuracy. 6