What did the Michigan v. Chesternut (1988) case primarily address?

The Michigan v. Chesternut (1988) case primarily dealt with the interpretation of reasonable suspicion in the context of police encounters with individuals. The Supreme Court examined whether the officer's observation of the defendant’s flight from an area recognized for drug trafficking and his subsequent behavior constituted reasonable suspicion to stop and investigate. The ruling emphasized that reasonable suspicion must be based on specific, articulable facts, rather than mere hunches or unparticular feelings. It set important precedents regarding how officers assess situations and determine whether they have enough justification to stop an individual for questioning. This decision helps clarify the threshold needed for reasonable suspicion in law enforcement practices, shaping how similar cases are viewed in the context of Fourth Amendment protections against unreasonable searches and seizures.