Illinois v. Wardlow

Keith Gregory Logan

One of the freedoms guaranteed under the Fourth Amendment is the right “to be secure … against unreasonable searches and seizures,” and Americans expect the government to enforce this right. Illinois v. Wardlow raised the question of whether police violated this Fourth Amendment right in stopping a man as he ran from police in an area known for high rates of narcotics trafficking and other crime. The U.S. Supreme Court held that the nature of the surroundings and the suspect's “unprovoked flight” created reasonable suspicion that justified the police in making an investigatory stop (Illinois v. Wardlow , 2000). William “Sam” Wardlow was standing next to a building on West Van Buren in a part of Chicago known for high crime and narcotics trafficking. When entering the area, the police “anticipated encountering a large number of people … including drug customers and individuals serving as lookouts.” As four police cars ...

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