RAKER, Judge.
After Dwayne Anthony Drury, petitioner, was taken into police custody, but before he was advised of his rights pursuant to Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), a police officer showed him physical evidence and told him that the evidence would be processed for fingerprints. The question we must decide in this case is whether, under the circumstances presented herein, the statements that petitioner made prior to being advised of his Miranda rights must be suppressed because the officer conducted the functional equivalent of interrogation. We shall answer that question in the affirmative and hold that the statements should have been suppressed.
[333]*333I.
Petitioner was indicted by the Grand Jury for Queen Anne’s County for the offenses of second degree burglary, fourth degree burglary, and theft over the value of $300.00. Prior to trial, he filed a motion to suppress the statements that he made to the police on the grounds that Corporal Mark Whaley of the Centreville Police Department in Queen Anne’s County had interrogated him without informing him of his Miranda rights. Petitioner argued that the police officer’s conduct was tantamount to interrogation under Miranda in that the officer should have known that placing evidence in front of petitioner, and telling him that it would be fingerprinted, was likely to elicit an incriminating response.
The Circuit Court held a hearing on the motion to suppress. The only witness to testify was Corporal Whaley. We recite the facts from the record of the suppression hearing.
On July, 14, 1996, Corporal Whaley went to the Hillside Market in response to a report of a break-in and theft at the market. The owner of the market told Corporal Whaley that he had found a tire iron behind the counter near the cash register. The officer looked around and saw that the rear door of the building had been pried open; it appeared to him that the tire iron had possibly been used to gain entry. Further investigation revealed that some property was missing, including several adult magazines, several cartons of cigarettes, bottles of liquor, and numerous Maryland Instant Scratch-Off Lottery tickets.
Later that evening, a deputy sheriff told Corporal Whaley that he had seen two men acting suspiciously near an alleyway close to the market. Corporal Whaley went to that location, looked through the trash, and found several adult magazines and a liquor bottle. The officer interviewed Karl Kirby, a suspect in the case, who led him to petitioner. Corporal Whaley went to petitioner’s home, brought him to the police station, and sat him down “within the department” for questioning. Before advising petitioner of his rights pursuant to Miranda, Corporal Whaley placed the tire iron and the trash [334]*334bag containing the magazines on a desk in front of petitioner. Petitioner made some statements about the tire iron and the magazines. Corporal Whaley then advised petitioner of his Miranda rights, and petitioner made no further statements.
On direct examination, Corporal Whaley testified as follows:
Q: After you talked with Mr. Kirby, did you go visit Mr. Drury?
A: Yes. I picked Mr. Drury up for questioning, at which time I proceeded to show Mr. Drury the evidence which was retrieved. In showing Mr. Drury the tire iron that was retrieved from the actual incident area, Mr. Drury said, well, my fingerprints could be on that and are on hundreds of tire irons around Centreville, okay, and picking up the trash bag in which the magazines were located in, Mr. Drury proceeded to tell me the contents of the bag prior to me even stating what was in the bag myself.
Q: What did he tell you?
A: He said that he had touched the magazines that were in that bag.
On cross-examination, the officer testified as follows:
Q: So you took the evidence out and put it in front of Mr. Drury?
A: I put it up on the desk in front of myself.
Q: And did you tell Mr. Drury that you were going to send this evidence off for fingerprints?
A: As I recall, yes sir.
Q: You told him all that before you Mirandized him?
A: Yes sir.
Q: And that’s when you claim that he made some statement about his fingerprints possibly being on these physical items?
A: Yes sir.
Q: And then once he was Mirandized, he didn’t want to talk to you?
A: No sir
[335]*335Petitioner argued that his statements were inadmissible because they were made in custody, in response to interrogation, and prior to his being advised of his Miranda rights. Concluding that the officer’s conduct and statements would not prompt an answer from petitioner, the Circuit Court denied petitioner’s motion to suppress. Petitioner was convicted by a jury of all counts.1 He noted a timely appeal to the Court of Special Appeals, and, in an unreported opinion, that court affirmed the judgment. We granted petitioner’s writ of certiorari. Drury v. State, 364 Md. 139, 771 A.2d 1069 (2001).
II.
Petitioner argues before this Court that confronting a suspect in custody with physical evidence of a crime and telling him that the evidence will be processed for fingerprints is the functional equivalent of interrogation and that, in the absence of a valid Miranda waiver, any subsequent statements must be suppressed. The State concedes that petitioner was in custody.2 The State argues that under the circumstances presented in this case, the officer’s conduct was not the functional equivalent of interrogation and that Miranda warnings were therefore unnecessary.
III.
It is a basic principle that a statement taken during custodial interrogation conducted before a defendant is informed of his or her Miranda rights may not be used by the State in its case in chief against the defendant. The test to be applied in determining whether the police officer’s statements [336]*336and exhibition of the physical evidence was tantamount to interrogation is whether the words and actions of the officer were reasonably likely .to elicit incriminating responses from petitioner. See Williams v. State, 342 Md. 724, 760, 679 A.2d 1106, 1124-25 (1996).
In Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 100 S.Ct. 1682, 64 L.Ed.2d 297 (1980), the Supreme Court considered whether Innis, the defendant, was subject to “interrogation,” as the term was used in Miranda. See Innis, 446 U.S. at 298, 100 S.Ct. at 1688, 64 L.Ed.2d 297. The Court concluded that the meaning of “interrogation” is not limited to express questioning; it also includes its “functional equivalent.” See id. at 300, 100 S.Ct. at 1689, 64 L.Ed.2d 297. The Court stated:
“.[T]he Miranda
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RAKER, Judge.
After Dwayne Anthony Drury, petitioner, was taken into police custody, but before he was advised of his rights pursuant to Miranda v. Arizona, 384 U.S. 436, 86 S.Ct. 1602, 16 L.Ed.2d 694 (1966), a police officer showed him physical evidence and told him that the evidence would be processed for fingerprints. The question we must decide in this case is whether, under the circumstances presented herein, the statements that petitioner made prior to being advised of his Miranda rights must be suppressed because the officer conducted the functional equivalent of interrogation. We shall answer that question in the affirmative and hold that the statements should have been suppressed.
[333]*333I.
Petitioner was indicted by the Grand Jury for Queen Anne’s County for the offenses of second degree burglary, fourth degree burglary, and theft over the value of $300.00. Prior to trial, he filed a motion to suppress the statements that he made to the police on the grounds that Corporal Mark Whaley of the Centreville Police Department in Queen Anne’s County had interrogated him without informing him of his Miranda rights. Petitioner argued that the police officer’s conduct was tantamount to interrogation under Miranda in that the officer should have known that placing evidence in front of petitioner, and telling him that it would be fingerprinted, was likely to elicit an incriminating response.
The Circuit Court held a hearing on the motion to suppress. The only witness to testify was Corporal Whaley. We recite the facts from the record of the suppression hearing.
On July, 14, 1996, Corporal Whaley went to the Hillside Market in response to a report of a break-in and theft at the market. The owner of the market told Corporal Whaley that he had found a tire iron behind the counter near the cash register. The officer looked around and saw that the rear door of the building had been pried open; it appeared to him that the tire iron had possibly been used to gain entry. Further investigation revealed that some property was missing, including several adult magazines, several cartons of cigarettes, bottles of liquor, and numerous Maryland Instant Scratch-Off Lottery tickets.
Later that evening, a deputy sheriff told Corporal Whaley that he had seen two men acting suspiciously near an alleyway close to the market. Corporal Whaley went to that location, looked through the trash, and found several adult magazines and a liquor bottle. The officer interviewed Karl Kirby, a suspect in the case, who led him to petitioner. Corporal Whaley went to petitioner’s home, brought him to the police station, and sat him down “within the department” for questioning. Before advising petitioner of his rights pursuant to Miranda, Corporal Whaley placed the tire iron and the trash [334]*334bag containing the magazines on a desk in front of petitioner. Petitioner made some statements about the tire iron and the magazines. Corporal Whaley then advised petitioner of his Miranda rights, and petitioner made no further statements.
On direct examination, Corporal Whaley testified as follows:
Q: After you talked with Mr. Kirby, did you go visit Mr. Drury?
A: Yes. I picked Mr. Drury up for questioning, at which time I proceeded to show Mr. Drury the evidence which was retrieved. In showing Mr. Drury the tire iron that was retrieved from the actual incident area, Mr. Drury said, well, my fingerprints could be on that and are on hundreds of tire irons around Centreville, okay, and picking up the trash bag in which the magazines were located in, Mr. Drury proceeded to tell me the contents of the bag prior to me even stating what was in the bag myself.
Q: What did he tell you?
A: He said that he had touched the magazines that were in that bag.
On cross-examination, the officer testified as follows:
Q: So you took the evidence out and put it in front of Mr. Drury?
A: I put it up on the desk in front of myself.
Q: And did you tell Mr. Drury that you were going to send this evidence off for fingerprints?
A: As I recall, yes sir.
Q: You told him all that before you Mirandized him?
A: Yes sir.
Q: And that’s when you claim that he made some statement about his fingerprints possibly being on these physical items?
A: Yes sir.
Q: And then once he was Mirandized, he didn’t want to talk to you?
A: No sir
[335]*335Petitioner argued that his statements were inadmissible because they were made in custody, in response to interrogation, and prior to his being advised of his Miranda rights. Concluding that the officer’s conduct and statements would not prompt an answer from petitioner, the Circuit Court denied petitioner’s motion to suppress. Petitioner was convicted by a jury of all counts.1 He noted a timely appeal to the Court of Special Appeals, and, in an unreported opinion, that court affirmed the judgment. We granted petitioner’s writ of certiorari. Drury v. State, 364 Md. 139, 771 A.2d 1069 (2001).
II.
Petitioner argues before this Court that confronting a suspect in custody with physical evidence of a crime and telling him that the evidence will be processed for fingerprints is the functional equivalent of interrogation and that, in the absence of a valid Miranda waiver, any subsequent statements must be suppressed. The State concedes that petitioner was in custody.2 The State argues that under the circumstances presented in this case, the officer’s conduct was not the functional equivalent of interrogation and that Miranda warnings were therefore unnecessary.
III.
It is a basic principle that a statement taken during custodial interrogation conducted before a defendant is informed of his or her Miranda rights may not be used by the State in its case in chief against the defendant. The test to be applied in determining whether the police officer’s statements [336]*336and exhibition of the physical evidence was tantamount to interrogation is whether the words and actions of the officer were reasonably likely .to elicit incriminating responses from petitioner. See Williams v. State, 342 Md. 724, 760, 679 A.2d 1106, 1124-25 (1996).
In Rhode Island v. Innis, 446 U.S. 291, 100 S.Ct. 1682, 64 L.Ed.2d 297 (1980), the Supreme Court considered whether Innis, the defendant, was subject to “interrogation,” as the term was used in Miranda. See Innis, 446 U.S. at 298, 100 S.Ct. at 1688, 64 L.Ed.2d 297. The Court concluded that the meaning of “interrogation” is not limited to express questioning; it also includes its “functional equivalent.” See id. at 300, 100 S.Ct. at 1689, 64 L.Ed.2d 297. The Court stated:
“.[T]he Miranda safeguards come into play whenever a person in custody is subjected to either express questioning or its functional equivalent. That is to say, the term ‘interrogation’ under Miranda refers not only to express questioning, but also to any words or actions on the part of the police (other than those normally attendant to arrest and custody) that the police should know are reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the suspect. The latter portion of this definition focuses primarily upon the perceptions of the suspect, rather than the intent of the police. This focus reflects the fact that the Miranda safeguards were designed to vest a suspect in custody with an added measure of protection against coercive police practices, without regard to objective proof of the underlying intent of the police. A practice that the police should know is reasonably likely to evoke an incriminating response from a suspect thus amounts to interrogation. But, since the police surely cannot be held accountable for the unforeseeable results of their words or actions, the definition of interrogation can extend only to words or actions on the part of the police officers that they should have known were reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response.”
Id. at 300, 100 S.Ct. at 1689-90, 64 L.Ed.2d 297.
While the Innis inquiry focuses primarily upon the perception of the suspect rather than the intent of the police, the [337]*337Court noted that the intent of the police is not irrelevant “for it may well have a bearing on whether the police should have known that their words or actions were reasonably likely to evoke an incriminating response.” Id. at 302 n. 7, 100 S.Ct. at 1690 n. 7, 64 L.Ed.2d 297.
IV.
We turn now to the question of whether it can be fairly concluded that petitioner was subjected to the functional equivalent of interrogation. We find that the officer’s conduct and words were the functional equivalent of interrogation within the meaning of Innis.
It is undisputed that, although petitioner was in custody, he was not subjected to express interrogation. The officer did not ask petitioner questions, but rather made a statement to him and displayed the tire iron and magazines.
Petitioner had been brought to the police station for the express purpose of questioning and, in fact, had been told so by Corporal Whaley. The police were not engaged in routine booking procedures; they were not required by any Maryland rule or procedure to read any document (other than the Miranda rights) to petitioner. Nonetheless, the officer placed the tire iron and the trash bag containing the stolen magazines on the table before petitioner before advising him of his Miranda rights. The officer told petitioner that he was going to send the evidence to be examined for fingerprints. Moreover, the officer testified that he “was presenting the evidence that was going to be used for questioning.”
It appears to us that the only reasonable conclusion that can be drawn from the foregoing facts is that the officer should have known, in light of his having told petitioner that he was being brought in for questioning, that putting the evidence before petitioner and telling him that the items were going to be fingerprinted was reasonably likely to evoke an incriminating response from him. The only plausible explanation for the officer’s conduct is that he expected to elicit a statement from petitioner.
[338]*338The Court of Appeals of New York reached the same conclusion in People v. Ferro, 63 N.Y.2d 316, 482 N.Y.S.2d 237, 472 N.E.2d 13 (1984). Ferro was arrested for murder during the course of a robbery in which some furs were stolen. The police gave him his Miranda warnings, and he declined to answer any questions, but asked to speak to a District Attorney. Ferro was placed in a cell, and an officer placed the stolen furs on the floor outside of Ferro’s cell. After'telling the police officer that he still wished to speak to the District Attorney and would talk if the prosecutor could “do something for him,” Ferro made some incriminating statements. The New York Court of Appeals held that Ferro was interrogated and that the officer should have known that placing the furs in front of his cell was reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response from the defendant. See id. 482 N.Y.S.2d 237, 472 N.E.2d at 17. The court reasoned that “[wjhere as here, ... the only possible object of the police action in revealing evidence to a defendant is to elicit a statement from him, it does no violence to logic to conclude that the police should have known that it would do so.” Id. (citations omitted).
The State relies on Vines v. State, 285 Md. 369, 402 A.2d 900 (1979), State v. Conover, 312 Md. 33, 537 A.2d 1167 (1988), and Williams v. State, 342 Md. 724, 679 A.2d 1106 (1996), to support its argument that petitioner was not subjected to police interrogation by Corporal Whaley. We find each of these cases distinguishable.
In Vines, the defendant was arrested in his home during the execution of a search warrant and then taken to the police station. See Vines, 285 Md. at 372, 402 A.2d at 901. The police advised Vines of his Miranda rights, and Vines invoked his right to remain silent. See id. He was then booked and taken to the roll call room where, displayed on the table, were drugs that the police had seized pursuant to the warrant. See id. at 369, 402 A.2d at 901-02. Vines was given a copy of the warrant, including the inventory of the seized property, and told that “this is what was recovered from his house during the raid.” Id. at 373, 402 A.2d at 902. Vines then stated that [339]*339“ ‘it was his stuff ” and asked “ ‘what he could do to help himself out.’” Id.3
We held that there was no interrogation in violation of Miranda. See id. at 378, 402 A.2d at 905. Vines was given the copy of the warrant and the inventoiy of the property taken from his home pursuant to the Maryland Rules, which “provided that an officer taking property under a search warrant shall make a written inventory of the property taken in the presence of the person from whom the property is taken if such person is present at the time the warrant was executed.” Id. at 377, 402 A.2d at 904. Moreover, the officer’s statements did not stray from the ambit of the Maryland Rules; he “merely made the true statement that this was what was recovered from Vines’ house during the raid.” Id. at 378, 402 A.2d at 904. Giving the inventoiy to Vines in compliance with the rules, together with the simple factual statement linking the contraband to the inventoiy, was not tantamount to interrogation within the meaning of Miranda. See id. at 377, 402 A.2d at 904-05.
In sharp contrast, petitioner was not being processed, the police were not serving a warrant or inventory upon him pursuant to a Maryland rule, and they did not merely place the tire iron and stolen magazines before him. The officer told petitioner that they were going to process the items for [340]*340fingerprints. Considering that the officer brought petitioner to the station for the specific purpose of questioning him, it hardly strains logic to conclude that the officer should have known that his conduct and words would elicit an incriminating response.
Neither Conover nor Williams add any weight to the State’s argument. In Conover, as in Vines, the defendant was arrested and invoked his Miranda rights. See Conover, 312 Md. at 37, 537 A.2d at 1169. The police, in compliance with the Maryland Rules, read and gave to him a copy of the Statement of Charges, including the application for the statement of charges, suggesting that he read them and ask any questions that he had. See id. at 42, 537 A.2d at 1171. Conover then made a self-incriminating statement. Following our earlier decision in Vines — that routine processing of an arrested defendant does not amount to interrogation under Miranda— we found “no sinister motive [in] the fact that the police provided [Conover] with a copy of the Application as well as a copy of the Statement of Charges.” Id. As noted above, in the case before us, there was no analogous official basis or procedural rule requiring Corporal Whaley to act as he did. The only reasonable explanation for his conduct is that he intended to elicit a statement from petitioner.
Williams is also distinguishable. Williams was arrested and, in response to his inquiry as to why he was arrested, was informed that he was under arrest for a double murder. See Williams, 342 Md. at 758, 679 A.2d at 1124. One of the officers showed him a photograph purportedly of Williams using one of the victims’ ATM cards. See id. Williams stated that “that’s me.” Id. Williams was then given his Miranda rights, at which point he invoked his right to remain silent and requested an attorney. See id. When the officers began to gather their papers, one of them told Williams to remove his earring, and Williams mumbled, “you can’t get me. I’ll just say a girl gave me the card.” Id. One of the officers commented that “this is going to work” and again told Williams that he was being charged with two murders. Id. Williams then said “I am never going to get out.” Id.
[341]*341The trial court suppressed the first statement, but not the second or third. This Court agreed, holding that the second and third statements were not the result of interrogation because the words and actions of the police following the Miranda warnings were not reasonably likely to elicit an incrimination response. We noted that the officers, in gathering their papers and telling Williams to remove his earring, were engaged in “routine procedures that the officers could hardly be expected to anticipate would prompt an incriminating statement.” Id. at 760-61, 679 A.2d at 1125. Like Vines and Conover, Williams is easily distinguished from the case before us on the basis that the police conduct in this case was not routine police procedure nor “innocuous comment.” Corporal Whaley’s actions were aimed at invoking an incriminating remark.
As demonstrated above, the facts in this case suggest that petitioner was subject to custodial interrogation prior to being advised of his Miranda rights. Corporal Whaley had reason to know that his conduct was reasonably likely to elicit an incriminating response; indeed, there is no explanation for his conduct but that he expected to elicit such statements. In stark contrast to the cases relied on by the State, this is not a case where a suspect incriminated himself while police officers merely conducted routine arrest procedures. Accordingly, we hold that the trial court should have suppressed the statements that petitioner made before he was given his Miranda warnings.
JUDGMENT OF THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS REVERSED. CASE REMANDED TO THAT COURT WITH DIRECTIONS TO REVERSE THE JUDGMENT OF THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR QUEEN ANNE’S COUNTY AND REMAND THE CASE TO THE CIRCUIT COURT FOR A NEW TRIAL. COSTS IN THIS COURT AND THE COURT OF SPECIAL APPEALS TO BE PAID BY RESPONDENT.
CATHELL and BATTAGLIA, JJ., dissent.