No “Reasonable Suspicion,” Defendant Should Not Have Been Stopped and Detained.

A new trial was ordered and the defendant’s motion to suppress identification evidence was granted by the Second Department.  A police radio broadcast described a robbery in progress by two males wearing black jackets, one wearing blue jeans, the other wearing black jeans. The complainant described the robbers only as “wearing dark clothing,” one taller than the other, and one with a hood.  The Court held that these descriptions were not sufficient to provide reasonable suspicion to stop and detain the defendant, who was dressed in a dark gray and dark green camouflage jacket and was standing alone 20 blocks from the crime scene.  People v Polhill, 2010-01680, Ind. No. 943/09 Second Dept. 1-30-13

DeBour, street stops