What is a potential outcome if a police officer, based on plain feel, discovers a concealed weapon during a frisk?

When a police officer conducts a frisk based on reasonable suspicion and, through the plain feel doctrine, discovers a concealed weapon, the legal basis for arresting the individual is established. The plain feel doctrine allows an officer to seize items that are immediately identifiable as contraband or weapons during a lawful pat-down for their safety.

This means that the nature of the item discovered—such as a concealed weapon—provides probable cause for an arrest. The presence of a weapon poses an immediate threat and validates the need for further action to ensure public safety. Once a concealed weapon is identified through lawful means, an officer has the authority to arrest the individual for possession of the firearm, since it demonstrates a violation of the law related to weapon possession.

Investigating further by conducting a full search may follow the arrest, but the key legal point is that the discovery of the weapon itself justifies the arrest. The other outcomes mentioned do not align with the legal standards governing search and seizure or the proper response for law enforcement officers when they encounter a concealed weapon during a lawful frisk.