Washington v. State

Summary

The court held that the totality of the circumstances supported a Terry stop because Washington engaged in unprovoked, headlong flight from multiple police vehicles, repeatedly evaded officers, attempted to hide, and did so in a specifically established high-crime area. The court rejected both a categorical rule that such flight always establishes reasonable suspicion and a categorical rule that fear of police makes flight insufficient. It also held that the state constitutional protection at issue is coextensive with the Fourth Amendment and affirmed the denial of suppression.