Which factors can support a frisk by law enforcement?

The justification for a frisk, which is a limited search for weapons conducted by law enforcement, is primarily based on the officer's observations and training. When an officer has specific and articulable facts to suggest that a suspect may be armed and dangerous, their experience and observations play a critical role in validating the decision to conduct a frisk. This includes factors such as the suspect's behavior, the location, and any potentially threatening actions observed by the officer, along with the officer's professional training to assess threats in real-time.

While public safety concerns can generally provide context for why an officer may feel the need to conduct a frisk, it's the concrete observations and the officer's training that provide a legal foundation for that action. Factors like the presence of bystanders might raise general concerns but do not independently justify a frisk. Additionally, weather conditions do not directly relate to an individual's potential threat level and therefore would not support a frisk.