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Williams: gunshot in public housing project is basis to pull over quickly exiting vehicle

By Tim Cone

In U.S. v. Williams, No. 10-10612 (Sept. 13, 2010), the Court held that a police officer did not violate the Fourth Amendment when he pulled over the defendant?s vehicle after it quickly pulled out of a public housing project, known to be a high crime area, from which the officer had just heard a gunshot. The district court therefore did not err in declining to suppress the firearm found in Williams? vehicle.The Court relied on cases in the Fifth and Tenth Circuits which held that a police officer was acting on more than a ?hunch? in like circumstances. In such circumstances, an officer has a reasonable suspicion to pull over the vehicle ? sufficient reason under Terry v. Ohio to withstand a Fourth Amendment challenge.

Full post as published by Defense Newsletter Blog on September 14, 2010 (boomark / email).