During a pat down, if a hard object is found that is believed to be a weapon, the officer may do what?

During a pat down, if a hard object is found that is believed to be a weapon, the officer may do what?

• A. Detain for 24 hours
• B. Remove the object to determine its identity
• C. Ignore it
• D. Handcuff and transport to station

Answer: (B)

During a lawful pat-down, the priority is safety. If you feel a hard object that could be a weapon, you may remove it from the object’s location to determine what it is and to neutralize the threat. The goal is to identify and secure potential weapons so you can continue the stop safely. This action is limited to identifying and securing the item, not to conducting a full search or arrest. Detaining someone for 24 hours, ignoring the object, or automatically transporting the person are not appropriate responses to a weapon-like object found during a frisk.

During a lawful pat-down, the priority is safety. If you feel a hard object that could be a weapon, you may remove it from the object’s location to determine what it is and to neutralize the threat. The goal is to identify and secure potential weapons so you can continue the stop safely. This action is limited to identifying and securing the item, not to conducting a full search or arrest. Detaining someone for 24 hours, ignoring the object, or automatically transporting the person are not appropriate responses to a weapon-like object found during a frisk.