A Terry stop, also known as a stop and frisk, is a brief detention that permits a police officer to approach a person for purposes of investigating possibly criminal behavior even though there is no probable cause to make an arrest. The name "Terry stop" comes from the U.S. Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, which established the legal basis for the stop and frisk procedure. During a Terry stop, a police officer may briefly detain an individual for a pat-down search of outer clothing if they have reasonable suspicion that the individual is armed, engaged, or about to be engaged in criminal conduct. The purpose of a Terry stop is to conduct a brief investigation to confirm or deny that the suspect is involved in criminal activity. If probable cause to arrest is developed during the stop, the suspect will be arrested. If probable cause is not developed, the suspect is released. A pat-down search for weapons is justified in a Terry stop if the officer has reason to believe that the suspect is armed and dangerous. Terry stops can also be used to develop important criminal intelligence, and officers may document their Terry stops to compile a file of persons stopped, their descriptions, names, addresses, locations they frequent, etc. .