A stop is defined as

• A. A consensual conversation
• B. An arrest
• C. When an officer restrains the liberty of a citizen such that a reasonable person would not feel free to leave
• D. A vehicle search

Answer: (C)

A stop is a short, temporary seizure of a person in which the officer restrains the individual’s liberty to the point that a reasonable person would not feel free to leave. This means the encounter is more than a casual chat, but not as intrusive as an arrest. The key idea is the restraint of movement and the departure from a fully voluntary, leave-when-you-want situation.

This definition is why the option describing restraint of liberty fits best. It captures the moment when an officer has paused a person for a brief investigation without taking them into custody. The other scenarios describe different interactions: a consensual conversation is voluntary and you’re free to walk away; an arrest is a full custody based on probable cause; a vehicle search is a search of property, not the act of briefly detaining a person.