Opinion ID: 2585179
Heading Depth: 5
Heading Rank: 5

Heading: Presence of actual physical restraint or equivalents such as drawn gun or guard at door

Text: The police did not physically restrain Smith during the interview. Sergeant Barnes did not seize him and walk him to the car. Nor was Smith handcuffed. The doors of the patrol car were not locked. Both Sergeant Barnes and Trooper Clark were in uniform and armed. Smith argues that he thought he was locked in the police car. In addition, Smith may have thought Clark was outside guarding against his escape. The defendant's subjective belief of custody is not controlling, [39] but it is a factor in the totality insofar as it may reflect a reasonable person's understanding. The weight of this factor is dependent upon Smith's credibility. In the absence of a trial court finding that Smith actually thought he was locked in the police car, [40] we conclude that this factor indicates custody only slightly.