Reference no: EM133767984
Case: YOU ARE INVESTIGATING A BURGLARY CASE THAT OCCURRED A FEW DAYS EARLIER. ONE MASKED SUSPECT ENTERED AN ELECTRONICS STORE BY BREAKING A LARGE WINDOW WITH A CONCRETE BLOCK AND TOOK 15 SMARTPHONES. THE SURVEILLANCE FOOTAGE FROM THE STORE SHOWED A MALE, UNKNOWN RACE, WEARING A WHITE MASK, BLACK PANTS, BLACK TOP, AND RED SHOES. A WITNESS REPORTED SEEING A RED CAR, POSSIBLY A FOUR-DOOR, FLEEING THE SCENE JUST BEFORE PATROL OFFICERS ARRIVED.
It's three days after the burglary. You receive an anonymous tip that a red two-door car is in an alley in a high-crime area and the male driver was seen placing smartphones on the front passenger seat of the vehicle. As you arrive in the alley, you see what you believe is the driver placing five other smartphones on the front passenger seat. He is not wearing clothes matching the suspect, but his physical build appears similar. You believe the vehicle matches and the smartphones may be the stolen ones taken from the burglary of the electronic store. The male sees you, quickly scampers into the driver's seat, and slowly drives away.
You make a traffic stop (the vehicle stops), and you speak with the driver at the driver's side window. You explain your observations to the driver. He nervously replies, "I do not know anything about a burglary," although you never mentioned a burglary. You arrest the driver for burglary. You notice 15 phones sitting on the front passenger seat. You inspect the phones and confirm they were taken during the burglary.
Initial Post
In your first post, submit by 11:59PM, Tuesday, April 9, address the following:
Does reasonable suspicion exist to make the traffic stop? Explain and justify your position.
Does probable cause exist to arrest the man for burglary? Explain and justify your position.
If reasonable suspicion or probable cause did not exist, what additional information could you have gathered to reach the level of reasonable suspicion or probable cause?