Supreme Court Upholds D.C. Police Stop in 7-2 Decision

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday reversed a lower court ruling that had deemed a Washington, D.C., police stop unconstitutional, upholding law enforcement's authority to detain a driver based on reasonable suspicion in a 7-2 decision. The case, District of Columbia v. R.W., stemmed from an early morning encounter in February 2023 involving a suspicious vehicle, with Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson issuing the sole written dissent criticizing the majority for overstepping into a fact-specific analysis.

The incident unfolded around 2 a.m. when Metropolitan Police Department Officer Clifford Vanterpool responded to a radio dispatch about a suspicious car parked outside an apartment building. As Vanterpool pulled into the lot in his marked patrol vehicle, two occupants fled from the car without any interaction from the officer, leaving at least one door open. A third person, identified in court records as R.W., a minor at the time, remained in the driver's seat and began slowly backing the vehicle out of its space, with the rear door still ajar.

Vanterpool parked behind the car to block its exit, exited his vehicle, drew his service weapon and ordered R.W. to raise his hands. A...