Can a police officer stop and detain a person based on reasonable suspicion even if no crime has been committed?

A police officer can indeed stop and detain a person based on reasonable suspicion, even if no crime has been committed. Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard that is less stringent than probable cause. It allows law enforcement to briefly detain an individual for investigative purposes if they have specific and articulable facts to believe that the person may be involved in criminal activity.

This standard enables officers to act on their intuition and observational skills when they perceive behaviors or circumstances that warrant further investigation. For example, if an officer observes someone loitering in a high-crime area or acting in a manner consistent with potential criminal activity, they have the right to engage that person to discern whether further action may be necessary.

This principle is grounded in cases like Terry v. Ohio, which established that reasonable suspicion is sufficient to justify a brief stop and questioning of a person without requiring the higher threshold of probable cause necessary for an arrest.