Opinion ID: 168860
Heading Depth: 3
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: p rocedural b ackground

Text: Mr. Murphy was charged with one count of possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number in violation of 18 U.S.C. § 922(k). He filed a motion to suppress the firearm. After a hearing at which Officers Weir, Gibson, and Seward testified, the district court denied Mr. Murphy’s motion. Although evidence was introduced that the encounter between the officers and Mr. Murphy was consensual, the district court concluded that Mr. Murphy’s detention was valid under the Fourth Amendment because reasonable suspicion to detain Mr. Murphy “immediately arose” during his initial encounter with Officer Weir and persisted throughout the detention. Rec. vol. III, doc. 55, at 7-10. The district court also held that Officer Weir discovered the gun through a valid search incident to arrest under New York v. Belton, 453 U.S. 454 (1981). Mr. Murphy conditionally pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 51 months’ imprisonment and 36 months’ supervised release. He timely filed a notice of appeal.