Walk It Through: The Question on the Sidewalk
A stop on foot after a burglary call, a demand for a name, a pat down, and an arrest that follows.
A block from a reported break-in, an officer stops a man walking home and asks his name, where he lives and what he is doing.
Two things a person in this spot might do. Picking one shows what the law says about it.
A stop on foot near a reported burglary. A stop in a car, a search of a bag, and a stop that rests on no suspicion at all are not worked through here.
A practice walkthrough, not a prediction of how any real one will go. Legal information, not legal advice.
Words this turns on
Terms with a legal meaning that is narrower than the everyday one. Each links to the definition and the authority behind it.
- ArrestTaking a person into custody in the manner the law authorizes, so the person can answer for an offense.
- Stop and identifyAn officer's power to stop a person in a public place reasonably suspected of a felony or the listed offenses, and demand a name, address and an explanation.
- Class A misdemeanorThe higher misdemeanor class, carrying up to 360 days and a $3,000 fine.
- Class C felonyThe lowest felony class, carrying up to 5 years and a $10,000 fine.
- Fleeing an officerA driver willfully failing to stop, or fleeing, after a visual or audible signal from a marked police vehicle or a uniformed officer.
- InfractionAn offense carrying no jail and a fine of up to $1,000.