What is the fellow officer rule?

The fellow officer rule is fundamentally about allowing law enforcement officers to rely on the collective knowledge and information possessed by their colleagues when making decisions about arrests or investigations. This principle acknowledges that individual officers may not have all the details necessary to establish probable cause or reasonable suspicion on their own, but they may be part of a larger system where information is shared among officers.

When one officer has reliable data regarding a suspect, other officers can act on that information even if they do not have direct knowledge of the facts themselves. This concept enhances the efficiency and effectiveness of law enforcement by enabling officers to trust and communicate with one another, creating a more cohesive approach to policing.

The other options do not accurately reflect the essence of the fellow officer rule. For instance, while collaboration is key in law enforcement, the requirement for two officers to agree on an arrest is not part of this rule. Similarly, hearsay and inter-agency cooperation are important topics in the realm of law enforcement, but they do not encapsulate the specific legal principle that allows officers to operate on shared knowledge.