Opinion ID: 1821882
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: weapon frisk

Text: Even after a lawful stop, a police officer is not always justified in frisking a suspect for weapons. See State v. Hunter, 375 So.2d 99 (La., 1979). A weapon frisk is justified under circumstances where a reasonably prudent man ... would be warranted in the belief that his safety or that of others was in danger. Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. at 27, 88 S.Ct. at 1883, 20 L.Ed.2d at 909 (1968). It is sufficient that an officer establish a substantial possibility of danger by pointing to particular facts which support such a reasonable inference. State v. Hunter, supra, at 101. See also Comment, Terry Revisited: Critical Update on Recent Stop-and-Frisk Developments, 1977 Wis.L.Rev. 877, 896. In the course of the investigatory stop nothing transpired to dissuade Officer Gurley in his belief that defendant was armed and dangerous. Under the circumstances, a limited protective search of defendant's outer clothing for weapons was justified.