Opinion ID: 433834
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Arrest and Search of Rose.

Text: 13 Rose contends that the officers did not have probable cause to arrest the occupants of the Camaro. In appropriate circumstances, law enforcement officers may approach a person for the purpose of investigating possible criminal behavior even though there is no probable cause to arrest the person. Adams v. Williams, 407 U.S. 143, 92 S.Ct. 1921, 32 L.Ed.2d 612 (1972) [hereinafter Adams]; Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 22, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 1880, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968) [hereinafter Terry]. A stop is permissible only when officers are aware of facts which, taken together with rational inferences from these facts, reasonably warrant the suspicion that the person stopped has been, is, or is about to be engaged in criminal activity. E.g., United States v. Cortez, 449 U.S. 411, 417-418, 101 S.Ct. 690, 694-95, 66 L.Ed.2d 621 (1981). In addition, officers who are entitled to make a forcible stop may conduct a limited weapons search for the purpose of protecting themselves. Terry, 392 U.S. at 24, 88 S.Ct. at 1881. 14 The record supports the district court's conclusion that Officers Meadows and Ortega had sufficient reasonable, articulable suspicion to justify the stop of the Camaro. See United States v. Pajari, 715 F.2d 1378 (8th Cir.1983). They had heard radio communications that the credit union had been robbed by three masked black males who were armed, that a white Ford had been discovered abandoned near the credit union, and that there would be a possible switch to a yellow Camaro driven by a black female. Within an hour of the robbery, Officers Meadows and Ortega spotted a yellow Camaro driven by a black female and occupied by two black males. They stopped the car about one and a half miles from the credit union. We believe that the Terry stop and weapons pat down were well justified in this case. 15 We do not agree with Rose's contention that the investigative stop and weapons pat down were in reality an arrest without probable cause. It is true that the determination of whether an arrest has occurred for Fourth Amendment purposes does not depend upon whether the officers announced that they were placing the suspects under arrest. Dunaway v. New York, 442 U.S. 200, 212, 99 S.Ct. 2248, 2256, 60 L.Ed.2d 824 (1979). An action tantamount to arrest has taken place if the officers' conduct is more intrusive than necessary for an investigative stop. See Florida v. Royer, --- U.S. ----, ----, 103 S.Ct. 1319, 1328, 75 L.Ed.2d 229, 241 (1983). Here, however, the initial stop and weapons search clearly fell within the permissible ambit of a Terry stop. See Adams, supra; United States v. Beardslee, 609 F.2d 914 (8th Cir.), cert. denied, 444 U.S. 1090, 100 S.Ct. 1053, 62 L.Ed.2d 778 (1980). 16 We also believe that the roll of cash found in Rose's pocket could have been lawfully discovered during the weapons pat down. In fact, however, the magistrate found that the roll of cash was discovered during a search of Rose's person following his arrest. Although there was some confusion in the testimony as to the exact moment of the formal arrest and as to which search revealed the roll of bills, there is ample evidence to support the magistrate's findings and we cannot say that they are clearly erroneous. In any event, the discovery of the money on Rose's person was not crucial to the existence of probable cause for his arrest. 17 Once Officers Chrisman and Truman arrived at the scene of the investigative stop with information that Jack Rose was one of the suspects in the robbery of the credit union, there was probable cause to arrest Rose and the other occupants of the Camaro. Probable cause to make a warrantless arrest depends upon whether, at the moment the arrest was made, ... the facts and circumstances within [the arresting officers'] knowledge and of which they had reasonably trustworthy information were sufficient to warrant a prudent man in believing [the person arrested] had committed or was committing an offense. Beck v. Ohio, 379 U.S. 89, 91, 85 S.Ct. 223, 225, 13 L.Ed.2d 142 quoted in United States v. Capers, 685 F.2d 249, 251 (8th Cir.1982). It is not necessary that an officer have personal knowledge of all the items of information which, taken together, constitute probable cause for an arrest without a warrant. United States v. Rose, 541 F.2d 750, 756 (8th Cir.1976), cert. denied, 430 U.S. 908, 97 S.Ct. 1178, 51 L.Ed.2d 584 (1977). It is enough that the collective knowledge and information of all of the officers involved establishes probable cause. Id. Based on the totality of information known to the arresting officers, there is no doubt that probable cause was established for the arrests that were made in this case. 18