A mere encounter with a police officer is not considered to be a police stop under the law. Police sometimes talk to people on the street without formally commanding them to stop to try to get information. Police are generally looking for more information about a crime when they do this. Mere encounters do not require reasonable suspicion or probable cause for the police to approach you and talk.
Your response to a mere encounter is entirely voluntary, and refusing to cooperate does not give them the authority to detain you. The Fourth Amendment of the United States Constitution and Article 1, Section 8 of the Pennsylvania Constitution protects your right against unlawful searches and seizures.
In This Article
A Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer explains what a mere encounter might look like through examples, how they are different from police stops, and your legal rights when interacting with police.
Examples of Mere Encounters
Mere encounters encompass a wide range of police activities. Police must follow proper procedure during mere encounters, even when informally speaking with the public. Otherwise, they violate the subject’s civil rights.
Examples of mere encounters include:
- Asking about your identity and activity
- Approaching a vehicle and knocking on the window
- Sounding sirens
- Use of police flashlight
- Flashing overhead cruiser lights
You have the right to ask if you are free to leave during a mere encounter. If something does not seem quite right during the interaction with the police, it’s usually best to exercise your right to remain silent.
Related Article: What to Do If the Police Want to Question You
How Mere Encounters Are Different From Other Police Stops
A mere encounter is an informal information request, whereas other police stops allow them to briefly detain you for an investigative detention. Other types of police stops can amount to an arrest.
Types of Police Stops
Types of police stops in Pennsylvania include:
- Investigative detention. Investigative detentions are when police hold you at the scene of a stop for questioning or other investigation. Since there is no arrest, police do not have to read you your Miranda rights, and it only requires the officer to use the reasonable suspicion standard, which is lower than probable cause.
- Arrest. Arrests are when police physically take you under their control, charge you with a crime, and remand you to jail or to the police district until an arraignment. Police must have probable cause to arrest you.
You should always exercise your right to remain silent during investigative detention or arrest, and if you feel that you must answer, do not make any self-incriminating statements or try to explain your involvement. This will only make things worse down the road.
Related Article: Can the Philadelphia Police Lie to You?
Can Mere Encounters Escalate Into Detention?
Yes, mere encounters can escalate into investigative detention or arrest, especially if they believe you are a suspect and have probable cause. However, procedural mistakes can erroneously escalate a mere encounter.
For instance, a Reading man in 2010 had a case involving a mere encounter that escalated into investigative detention. The officer took his identification card back to the patrol car, meaning that no reasonable person in his circumstances would have felt free to terminate the encounter and leave. That police officer’s error became a focal point of the arrest in the matter of Commonwealth v. Hudson, 2010 PA Super 96.
Related Article: Mere Encounter Escalates Into Investigative Detention
You Have Legal Rights When Dealing with Police
The US Constitution’s Fourth Amendment protects you from unlawful searches and seizures. If you were illegally stopped and searched by any law enforcement agency in Pennsylvania or South Jersey, speak with Shuttleworth Law P.C..
Our Philadelphia criminal defense lawyer, Brad V. Shuttleworth, Esq. invites you to call us for Your Free Case Evaluation at 888-529-3486 now or message us here. Brad V. Shuttleworth, Esq. will get you the answers you need.