Which case established the fellow officer rule (collective knowledge of police)?

Which case established the fellow officer rule (collective knowledge of police)?

• A. Graham v. Connor
• B. Carroll v. State
• C. McAnnis v. State
• D. United States v. Hensley

Answer: (D)

The question tests the idea that information known to one officer can count toward stopping or detaining a person because of the police’s collective knowledge. United States v. Hensley established this fellow officer rule: a stop can be based on information broadcast or relayed by another officer about a suspect, even if the responding officer didn’t personally observe the suspicious conduct. If the information is reliable and the stop matches the description and circumstances, it remains reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. This rule reflects how real-world policing often works, with different officers contributing pieces of information to pursue leads efficiently. The other cases address different issues. Graham v. Connor deals with the standard for evaluating the reasonableness of force used by police, not information sharing between officers. Carroll v. State and McAnnis v. State involve other aspects of Fourth Amendment doctrine or state-specific rulings and do not establish the fellow officer rule.

The question tests the idea that information known to one officer can count toward stopping or detaining a person because of the police’s collective knowledge. United States v. Hensley established this fellow officer rule: a stop can be based on information broadcast or relayed by another officer about a suspect, even if the responding officer didn’t personally observe the suspicious conduct. If the information is reliable and the stop matches the description and circumstances, it remains reasonable under the Fourth Amendment. This rule reflects how real-world policing often works, with different officers contributing pieces of information to pursue leads efficiently.

The other cases address different issues. Graham v. Connor deals with the standard for evaluating the reasonableness of force used by police, not information sharing between officers. Carroll v. State and McAnnis v. State involve other aspects of Fourth Amendment doctrine or state-specific rulings and do not establish the fellow officer rule.