The Court in this case considered whether a police officer must have reasonable suspicion to ask the occupants of a lawfully-stopped vehicle whether they possess any weapons. The Court extended its holding from Debour and Hollman (holding that the common law right of inquiry by an officer requires reasonable suspicion that criminal activity is afoot) by holding that an officer must have reasonable suspicion to inquire whether there are weapons in a car.
Three officers pulled over Miguel Garcia’s vehicle for having a defective rear brake light. Inside the vehicle, the officers found four males, allegedly acting nervous. One of the officers inquired if anyone in the vehicle had a weapon, to which one passenger admitted that he had a knife. The passenger placed the knife on the floor of the car, and the officers asked the occupants to step out of the vehicle whereupon each one was frisked. One officer noticed something that resembled a gun wedged between the car seat and the door. Once the item was discovered to be an air pistol, the occupants of the car were arrested. Upon an inventory search, another air rifle was found in the trunk of the car. The defendant confessed that he was the owner of the items, and he was charged with two counts of misdemeanor possession of an air pistol or rifle.
The defendant moved to suppress the air rifles as evidence, arguing that the officers had no basis for asking about or searching for weapons when the car was stopped. The trial court granted the motion at first, but reversed upon a motion to reargue. The State argued that the Court’s ruling that an officer can request occupants to step out of a vehicle without reasonable suspicion should be expanded to permit officers to inquire if anyone inside has a weapon because doing so does not require any greater intrusion. Upon reversal of the suppression order, the defendant pled guilty and appealed the suppression decision. The appellate division reversed and vacated the judgment of the defendant.
The Court of Appeals began by explaining that an officer may use precautionary measures without particularized suspicion to direct occupants out of a car. This principle is an established rule for the protection of police officers. The Court proceeded to discuss two prior holdings which described the different levels of officer-citizen encounters. When questioning becomes more pointed and the officer is seeking information about an individual’s wrongdoing, the officer must have a founded suspicion that criminal activity is afoot.
Next, the Court discussed the various policy issues behind the ruling, and considered the importance of promoting predictability and precision in judicial review of search-and-seizure cases, along with the protection of individual rights. A bright-line rule in this area would better promote these policies. Therefore, the Court found that Debour and Hollman apply to street encounters and traffic stops, requiring reasonable suspicion to ask if there are any weapons in a vehicle.
The evidence in the record supported the appellate division’s determination that the air rifles should have been suppressed. However, the case was remanded to the trial court to allow the State to make an alternative argument under the doctrine of inevitable discovery.
20 N.Y.3d 317 (2012)