United States v. Hensley
| United States v. Hensley | |
|---|---|
| Argued November 5, 1984 Decided January 8, 1985  | |
| Full case name | United States v. Thomas Hensley. | 
| Citations | 469 U.S. 221 (more) | 
| Argument | Oral argument | 
| Decision | Opinion | 
| Case history | |
| Prior | United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit reversal (713 F.2d 220 [1983]) | 
| Holding | |
| Absent an official arrest warrant, there is enough reasonable suspicion to detain a person for Terry stop purposes if they match a description of a suspect under investigation as detailed in a wanted poster. | |
| Court membership | |
  | |
| Case opinions | |
| Majority | O'Connor, joined by unanimous | 
| Concurrence | Brennan | 
| Laws applied | |
| U.S. Const. amend IV | |
United States v. Hensley, 469 U.S. 221 (1985), is a unanimous decision by the Supreme Court of the United States that ruled that wanted posters create reasonable suspicion to detain and identify suspects that match descriptions contained in those posters.