Court Opinion

ID: 9498234
Source: CourtListenerOpinion
Date Created: 2023-08-05 17:11:50.760762+00
Date Added: 2024-06-11T17:58:42.222609
License: Public Domain

McMILLIAN, Circuit Judge,
dissenting.
I respectfully dissent. I believe that the facts, considered together, are not sufficiently significant to constitute reasonable suspicion of criminal activity. The facts are either not particularized (time of day and character of the neighborhood, partially matching description of suspects in re*879cent crime), not especially suspicious (pretending to use the pay telephone) or not supported by an articulated reason for suspicion (turning movement).
For example, even though Bailey was present in a high-crime neighborhood at 1:00 a.m., he was not alone. The gas station was open and busy. In addition, the pay telephone Bailey was using was located close to relatively bright overhead lights above the gas pumps, as well as the lights of the gas station convenience store. Although the government argues that Bailey matched the general description the Shell station carjackers, who were described as black males in their twenties, matching that description in the predominately African-American Walnut Park West neighborhood is not meaningful. “Too many people fit this description for it to justify a reasonable suspicion of criminal activity.” United States v. Eustaquio, 198 F.3d 1068, 1071 (8th Cir.1999). Even if Wells reasonably believed that Bailey was pretending to use the pay telephone, such conduct is not criminal. As to Bailey’s turning away as Wells approached, Wells did not point to any facts supporting a conclusion that Bailey’s movement was furtive or evasive or suggestive of criminal activity.
In my view, Wells had a hunch that Bailey was engaged in criminal activity. However, a stop cannot be validated by “ ‘what it turns up.’ ” United States v. Yousif, 308 F.3d 820, 828 (8th Cir.2002) (quoting Wong Sun v. United States, 371 U.S. 471, 484, 83 S.Ct. 407, 9 L.Ed.2d 441 (1963)). An “inchoate and unparticularized suspicion or ‘hunch’ ” is not enough for the Fourth Amendment. Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 27, 88 S.Ct. 1868, 20 L.Ed.2d 889 (1968). Thus, I dissent.