To perform a legal Terry stop, what level of suspicion is required?

A Terry stop, derived from the Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, requires that law enforcement officers have a level of "reasonable suspicion" to justify the stop. Reasonable suspicion is a lower standard than probable cause and is based on specific and articulable facts that lead an officer to believe that a person may be involved in criminal activity. This standard allows police to conduct a brief investigative stop to ensure officer safety and to further investigate possible criminal behavior.

The requirement of reasonable suspicion involves considering the totality of the circumstances surrounding the situation, including the officer's experiences and observations. This standard is designed to balance the need for law enforcement to ensure public safety while protecting individuals’ rights against unreasonable seizures.