Opinion ID: 2731237
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 1

Heading: The Traffic Stop and Frisks

Text: We present the facts as found in the evidentiary hearing and in the matter most compatible with the district court's ruling, consistent with record support. See United States v. -2- McGregor, 650 F.3d 813, 816 (1st Cir. 2011) (citing United States v. Dancy, 640 F.3d 455, 457-58, 460-61 (1st Cir. 2011)).1 On March 10, 2012, at around 11:00 p.m., Officers José Casiano-García (Officer Casiano) and Edwin Martínez-Vargas (Officer Martínez) spotted a Mitsubishi Lancer driving down a road in Yauco, Puerto Rico. The car's driver, Jenson Morales-Ramos (Morales), was accompanied by Tiru and two young women. The officers -- seeing the metal glint of a disengaged buckle over Morales's shoulder -- concluded that the car's occupants were not wearing seat belts. When the officers turned on their lights to signal that the car should pull over, Morales failed to stop immediately.2 After traveling only a short distance, and without speeding up or taking evasive action, however, he obeyed the officers' command. After approaching the vehicle, Officer Casiano asked Morales for his driver's license and registration. Morales could not provide a driver's license, and he handed the officer a photocopy of the 1 Though Tiru disputes some of these facts, [w]e summarize the facts as found by the district court in its denial of [the defendant's] motion to suppress, which are consistent with record support and are not clearly erroneous, and [w]e supplement that description with testimony from the record. Dancy, 640 F.3d at 458 (internal citations omitted). 2 The highway did not have a shoulder, and Morales continued to drive until the first available exit. -3- car's original registration3 on which the VIN could not be made out. The illegible registration and failure to provide a license gave rise to some suspicion that the car may have been stolen.4 On that basis, Officer Casiano asked Morales to exit the vehicle and open the hood for purposes of inspecting the VIN on the car's engine. When Morales obliged, the resulting movement caused his shirt to lift up and revealed a green pistol grip in his waistband. Seeing the gun, Officer Casiano yelled arma5 and ordered Morales to place his hands on the hood of the vehicle. Having been alerted to the presence of a firearm by his partner, Officer Martínez ordered Tiru to exit the vehicle and submit to a pat-frisk. When Officer Martínez ran his hands along Tiru's waist he felt a hard object that he believed could be a weapon, inserted two fingers under his waistband, and extracted a black pistol. Tiru was then taken into police custody. After the arrival of two 3 Morales had borrowed the vehicle while his own car was being repaired. The car's owner, who ran a rental business, explained that he always keeps original registrations on file in his office and places copies in his rental vehicles. 4 Although the officers testified that their suspicions were further raised because the VIN on the car's doorjamb had been removed, this testimony was not credited by the district court. Tiru introduced photos, taken after his arrest, showing an intact, 17-character VIN on a painted white surface. 5 In English, weapon. -4- more police officers, the female passengers were also detained, although they were later released without charges.6