State v. Chisholm

696 P.2d 41, 39 Wash. App. 864, 1985 Wash. App. LEXIS 2292

• Court: Court of Appeals of Washington
• Decided: February 28, 1985
• Docket: 6446-4-II
• Status: Published

Opinions

Reed, A.C.J.

— A Longview police officer stopped a pickup truck solely for the purpose of informing the driver that his hat was in jeopardy of blowing out of the bed of the vehicle. The trial court concluded that, there being no reasonable suspicion of criminal activity, the stop was improper, and granted defendant's motion to suppress a quantity of marijuana subsequently found on defendant's person. The State appeals from the trial court's dismissal of the charge against defendant. We reverse and remand.

On November 15, 1980, at approximately 12:30 a.m., Sergeant Cowan of the Longview Police Department observed a pickup truck moving in traffic with a hat resting on top of the cab. The officer, driving an unmarked police vehicle, watched as the hat blew into the bed. Concerned that the hat was endangered, Sergeant Cowan attempted to stop the truck. Having no success, the officer summoned a marked police vehicle to make the stop. No traffic or criminal violations were observed or suspected at that time.

Upon walking up to the cab, Sergeant Cowan saw an open can of beer between the driver and his passenger, James Chisholm, both known by Sergeant Cowan to be minors. The occupants were placed under arrest and a later search of Chisholm's person produced a quantity of marijuana, for which he was charged with possession.

Although there is substantial case law concerning the propriety of traffic stops made to enforce penal or regulatory law, we have found virtually no authority passing on the propriety of a stop made solely to assist the occupants of a vehicle.¹ We look for guidance, then, in fundamental Fourth Amendment principles. A review of those principles will provide a framework for a discussion of the specific facts present here.

First, we note that a vehicle stop, even for a benign purpose, must be made in harmony with the Fourth Amendment proscription against unreasonable searches and seizures. Delaware v. Prouse, 440 U.S. 648, 59 L. Ed. 2d 660, 99 S. Ct. 1391 (1979). Whether a given stop is unreasonable "depends on a balance between the public interest and the individual's right to personal security free from arbitrary interference by law officers." United States v. Brignoni-Ponce, 422 U.S. 873, 878, 45 L. Ed. 2d 607, 95 S. Ct. 2574 (1975). See also Camara v. Municipal Court, 387 U.S. 523, 18 L. Ed. 2d 930, 87 S. Ct. 1727 (1967).

Ordinarily, the balance between public and individual interests is accurately measured by the presence or absence of "probable cause." On occasion, the less demanding "reasonable suspicion" standard is employed.² Here, the trial court concluded that the absence of reasonable suspicion to believe criminal activity was afoot rendered the stop unlawful. We disagree. Neither "probable cause" nor "reasonable suspicion" is an appropriate yardstick where the stop was made for noncriminal, noninvestigatory purposes. In that context, whether a particular stop is reasonable depends not on the presence or absence of "probable cause" or "reasonable suspicion," but rather on a balancing of the competing interests involved in light of all the surrounding facts and circumstances. See South Dakota v. Opperman, 428 U.S. 364, 49 L. Ed. 2d 1000, 96 S. Ct. 3092 (1976). Here, an individual's interest in proceeding about his business unfettered by police interference must be balanced against the public's interest in having police officers perform services³ in addition to the traditional enforcement of penal and regulatory laws. United States v. Dunbar, 470 F. Supp. 704 (D. Conn.), aff'd, 610 F.2d 807 (2d Cir. 1979). This latter interest is sometimes characterized as "community caretaking functions." Cady v. Dombrowski, 413 U.S. 433, 441, 37 L. Ed. 2d 706, 93 S. Ct. 2523 (1973).

One might argue that permitting police officers to make stops without "probable cause" or at least "reasonable suspicion" is so fraught with the potential for abuse that a blanket proscription is necessary. We believe that such an approach is an unnecessarily harsh remedy in light of the safeguards offered by a suppression hearing. We trust that the trial judge will discern a legitimate stop from one based on subterfuge. Accordingly, we hold that, in appropriate circumstances, a police officer may stop a vehicle momentarily to warn the occupants that an item of their property is endangered. Such a momentary seizure, being "reasonable," does not require the suppression of contraband or other evidence of crime thereafter discovered merely because the officer lacked probable cause or reasonable suspicion to believe the vehicle's occupants were involved in criminal activity.

Turning to the case at bench, the balance between the competing interests is not such that the court can resolve the issue as a matter of law. Factual questions remain. For example, is it certain that the hat was of such trivial value that no reasonable person would have bothered to warn the owner that it was endangered? Was the hat in danger of being lost after it blew into the bed of the pickup, or would it present a traffic hazard? Was the stop a subterfuge? These factual inquiries, among others, must be resolved by the trial court and the "balancing test" rather than the "probable cause" or "reasonable suspicion" test employed. Accordingly, this cause is remanded for a suppression hearing consistent with this opinion.

It is so ordered.

Langsdorf, J. Pro Tern., concurs.

1 Our research reveals only one case that discusses a stop made solely to assist the occupant of a vehicle. See United States v. Dunbar, 470 F. Supp. 704 (D. Conn.), aff'd, 610 F.2d 807 (2d Cir. 1979).

2 See, e.g., Terry v. Ohio, 392 U.S. 1, 20 L. Ed. 2d 889, 88 S. Ct. 1868 (1968).

3 Many communities look to their officers to assist citizens or render aid under a variety of circumstances. For example, officers often deliver emergency messages, give directions, search for lost children, assist stranded motorists and render first aid.