a law enforcement officer's search for a weapon confined to a suspect's outer clothing
when either a bulge in the clothing or the outline of the weapon is visible. The
search is commonly called a "pat down," and any further search requires either a
search warrant or "probable cause" to believe the suspect will commit or has committed
a crime (including carrying a concealed weapon, which itself is a crime). The limited
right to "stop and frisk" is intended to halt the practice of random searches of
people in hopes of finding evidence of criminal activity or merely for purposes
of intimidation, particularly of minorities.
See also probable cause search search and seizure search warrant
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