What are the essential requirements for a Terry frisk?

The essential requirement for a Terry frisk is that the officer must have a reasonable belief that the suspect is armed and dangerous. This standard arises from the landmark Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, which established that officers could conduct a limited pat-down search for weapons when they have specific and articulable facts that support the belief that the individual may pose a threat to their safety or the safety of others.

This requirement is crucial because it balances the need for officer safety with the Fourth Amendment protection against unreasonable searches and seizures. The officer's belief does not need to rise to the level of probable cause, but it must be based on reasonable suspicion derived from the totality of the circumstances and the officer’s experience.

For this reason, other options do not fulfill the requirement for a Terry frisk. A mere verbal acknowledgment from the suspect does not establish an immediate concern for safety, and an arrest warrant is not necessary for a frisk, as the purpose is not to arrest but to ensure safety. Assuming a suspect will comply lacks the necessary anticipatory assessment of potential danger and does not provide a legal justification for searching without reasonable suspicion.