Opinion ID: 2052636
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: The Government's Burden

Text: The government always bears the burden not only of proving that the circumstances in a particular case came within a recognized exception to the warrant requirement, Sanders, supra, 442 U.S. at 759-60, 99 S.Ct. at 2590-91 (citing United States v. Jeffers, 342 U.S. 48, 51, 72 S.Ct. 93, 95, 96 L.Ed. 59 (1951)), but also of proving that the subsequent search or seizure was, in fact, reasonable under the circumstances. Id. Even where the government is justifying a true Terry stop for an ongoing crime, [i]t is the State's burden to demonstrate that the seizure it seeks to justify on the basis of a reasonable suspicion was sufficiently limited in scope and duration to satisfy the conditions of an investigative seizure. Royer, supra, 460 U.S. at 500, 103 S.Ct. at 1326; see also Mayes v. United States, 653 A.2d 856, 861 (D.C.1995) (The prosecution was thus required to prove by a preponderance of the evidence that both the stop and the frisk were constitutionally permissible.). This court has stated that lack of specificity or lack of evidentiary support for any intrusion, even a limited pat-down, during a Terry stop will render that intrusion illegal. See Roy, supra, 527 A.2d at 744 (holding investigative stop of five individuals illegal when based upon an inarticulable suspicion that one individual had been involved in a crime). Once the government has presented some evidence justifying the stop, this court considers that evidence in light of the totality of the circumstances. Anderson v. United States, 658 A.2d 1036, 1037 (D.C.1995) (quoting Alabama v. White, 496 U.S. 325, 330, 110 S.Ct. 2412, 2416, 110 L.Ed.2d 301 (1990)). Factors that may justify ... the escalated use of force include the time of day, the `high-crime' nature of the area, an informant's tips that persons might be armed, furtive hand movements, flight or attempted flight by the person sought to be detained. United States v. Laing, 281 U.S.App.D.C. 266, 271, 889 F.2d 281, 286 (1989); see also Cousart v. United States, 618 A.2d 96, 100 (D.C.1992) (en banc) (stating that the fact that confrontation occurred in a high crime area was one factor to consider in determining whether the police used the least restrictive means under the circumstances) cert. denied, 507 U.S. 1042, 113 S.Ct. 1878, 123 L.Ed.2d 496 (1993); Minnick v. United States, 607 A.2d 519 (D.C.1992) (partially relying upon officer's statement that confrontation occurred in high narcotics area in validating Terry search); United States v. Taylor, 716 F.2d 701, 709 (9th Cir. 1983) (justifying use of handcuffs during Terry stop where suspect refused to keep hands in the air and made furtive movements); United States v. Purry, 178 U.S.App.D.C. 139, 142, 545 F.2d 217, 220 (1976) (concluding that an officer's decision to handcuff defendant as part of an investigatory detention was justified because, when contacted within the area of an armed robbery minutes after the robbery occurred, defendant attempted to pull away from the officer). No one factor is dispositive in justifying the use of force. See United States v. Brignoni-Ponce, 422 U.S. 873, 885-86, 95 S.Ct. 2574, 2582-83, 45 L.Ed.2d 607 (1975) (invalidating investigatory stops by border patrol officers based on a single factor). Valid concern for the safety of the officers must be apparent from a fair reading of the evidence adduced before the trial court. See id. at 880, 95 S.Ct. at 2579-80 (holding that prior to a Terry stop, an officer must be able to identify `specific and articulable facts which, taken together with rational inferences from those facts, reasonably warrant' a belief that his safety or that of others is in danger) (quoting Terry, supra, 392 U.S. at 21, 88 S.Ct. at 1880); In re M.M., supra, 407 A.2d at 701 (noting that officer testified to his concern for safety in effecting a Terry frisk); Crawford, supra, 369 A.2d at 598-601 & n. 6 (quoting police testimony that officers believed that the suspect might be armed). The police officers must have an ongoing belief that the suspect whom they have encountered is both armed and potentially dangerous. Powell, supra, 649 A.2d at 1084 (D.C.1994) (quoting Terry, supra, 392 U.S. at 21, 88 S.Ct. at 1879-80). In any event, police testimony describing the perceived necessity for handcuffs has been essential where the facts do not evidence a clear objective need for handcuffs. Bautista, supra, 684 F.2d at 1288 (relying on officer's restatement of facts justifying use of force in upholding the use of handcuffs during a Terry stop); but see Majority Opinion at 611 (noting without support in or reference to the testimony that the police officers in this case could not foresee what a man suspected of armed rape and kidnapping might try to do to avoid apprehension. From their perspective, even a modest risk would reasonably appear altogether unacceptable). It is with the government's burden in mind that this court should consider whether the record before it can adequately support the trial court's failure to suppress contested evidence.