Acute Behavioral Emergencies: What Every Officer Needs to Know in 2026
Law enforcement officers across the country are increasingly encountering individuals in severe behavioral crises. What was once commonly labeled “excited delirium” has evolved into a broader and more medically grounded understanding now referred to as Acute Behavioral Emergency (ABE) . The terminology has changed—but more importantly, so has the science, the legal landscape, and the expectations placed on officers. If your agency has not recently updated its policy or traini
5 min read
Stash House Search Warrant Lessons: Making the Firearm Charge Stick
United States v. Jones Citation: United States v. Jones, No. 24-4282, ___ F.4th ___ (4th Cir. Feb. 4, 2026) TL;DR The Fourth Circuit affirmed Lawrence Jones’s firearm convictions, holding that sufficient circumstantial evidence supported a finding of constructive possession of firearms discovered inside a drug stash house. Even without fingerprints, eyewitness testimony, or exclusive control of the premises, the totality of the evidence allowed the jury to reasonably conclud
4 min read
Furtive Movements Aren’t Magic Words: United States v. Erving and Protective Vehicle Searches
United States v. Erving Nos. 23-2828 & 23-2831 (7th Cir. Jan. 20, 2026) TL;DR The Seventh Circuit upheld a vehicle protective search under Michigan v. Long where a lone officer, late at night, observed furtive movements suggesting concealment, smelled burnt cannabis, learned the driver was on supervised release for a weapons offense, and reasonably believed the suspect could soon regain access to the vehicle. The court reaffirmed that reasonable suspicion—not probable cause
3 min read