What term describes a limited protective search of a person's clothing to check for weapons during a stop?

What term describes a limited protective search of a person's clothing to check for weapons during a stop?

• A. Frisk
• B. Pat-down
• C. Search Incident to Arrest
• D. Body cavity search

Answer: (A)

A frisk is the limited protective search of a person’s outer clothing to check for weapons during a stop. This concept comes from the stop-and-frisk principle: when an officer has reasonable suspicion, they may briefly detain someone and perform a quick pat-down to feel for weapons. The goal is safety, not to investigate crimes or rummage through belongings, so the search stays on the surface and restricted to outer clothing unless something felt gives rise to further probable cause. It’s not a full search of the person or a search incident to arrest (which happens after arrest and can be broader), and it doesn’t involve invasive body cavity procedures. While “pat-down” is a commonly used everyday term for the same idea, the term framed in many exams and legal discussions is frisk, which directly captures the protective, weapon-detection purpose of the action.

A frisk is the limited protective search of a person’s outer clothing to check for weapons during a stop. This concept comes from the stop-and-frisk principle: when an officer has reasonable suspicion, they may briefly detain someone and perform a quick pat-down to feel for weapons. The goal is safety, not to investigate crimes or rummage through belongings, so the search stays on the surface and restricted to outer clothing unless something felt gives rise to further probable cause. It’s not a full search of the person or a search incident to arrest (which happens after arrest and can be broader), and it doesn’t involve invasive body cavity procedures. While “pat-down” is a commonly used everyday term for the same idea, the term framed in many exams and legal discussions is frisk, which directly captures the protective, weapon-detection purpose of the action.