Terry stop is distinguished from an arrest by

• A. It is a brief investigative detention based on reasonable suspicion, not a full custodial arrest.
• B. It requires probable cause to arrest.
• C. It is a vehicle search without consent.
• D. It always results in immediate charging.

Answer: (D)

A Terry stop is a brief investigative detention based on reasonable suspicion, not a full custodial arrest. The key idea is that officers can briefly stop and question someone, and perhaps frisk for weapons if they have articulable safety concerns, without treating the person as an arrested suspect. It’s temporary and purposefully limited to allow further investigation; it only becomes a full arrest if later facts establish probable cause.

That’s why the statement describing the stop as based on reasonable suspicion and as a brief detention fits. It contrasts with the notion that an arrest requires probable cause from the outset, which would apply to a full custodial arrest rather than a Terry stop. It also clarifies that a stop is not inherently a vehicle search, and it does not always result in immediate charging—many stops end without charges or with later arrest if more evidence arises.