What standard of proof justifies a stop and frisk during a field encounter?

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Reasonable suspicion is the threshold used to justify a brief stop in a field encounter. It means there are specific, articulable facts and reasonable inferences from those facts that crime may be afoot, not just a vague hunch. Under the rule from Terry v. Ohio, a police officer may pause and detain someone briefly if these facts justify that the person is involved in criminal activity. If, during that stop, the officer also has a reasonable belief that the person is armed and dangerous, they may conduct a limited frisk to check for weapons. So, the standard that justifies a stop—and, if the circumstances raise the concern, a frisk—is reasonable suspicion. The other standards are higher or apply in different contexts: beyond a reasonable doubt is used to convict in court, preponderance of the evidence is a civil standard, and probable cause is required for arrests or broader searches, not a brief stop.