Quote Originally Posted by David Merrill View Post
I believe the basis of being detained on the street is probable cause.
Actually, if an officer does not have probable cause to believe a crime has been or is about to be committed, a person cannot be legally detained. Sadly, the definition of probable cause is whatever the officer is smart enough to articulate it is. In other words, an officer can create probable cause out of nothing.

Their SCOTUS has pronounced that all one is required to give an officer who has probable cause is "a name". Notice it is singular "a" name. The officer will then press for "full name" or "last name" or "date of birth" but there is no legal requirement for anything but "a" name.

Without probable cause, there is no requirement for anyone to even utter a word nor provide any information to a cop during a "field interview". Nor is there any requirement for anyone to have a legal name or last name.

Several times when I was an officer, I attempted to talk to persons in the street and the smart ones simply walked away from me, which was fine, since if I had PC, I usually just placed them under arrest without trying to bait them into a conversation to get it.