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A Terry stop is a legal provision that allows law enforcement officers to stop and briefly detain a person based on reasonable suspicion that the individual is involved in criminal activity. This reasonable suspicion must be based on specific and articulable facts, rather than just a vague hunch or intuition. The concept originates from the landmark Supreme Court case Terry v. Ohio, which established that officers can conduct such stops without a warrant when they believe that a person may be armed or engaging in criminal conduct, enhancing public safety while balancing individual rights.

The concept of reasonable suspicion is crucial to the legality of a Terry stop, as it provides the necessary justification for the temporary detention without requiring the higher standard of probable cause, which is necessary for making an arrest. Therefore, the statement that Terry stops permit stopping based on reasonable suspicion accurately captures the essence of what a Terry stop is all about.