In a police encounter, what is a consensual encounter?

A consensual encounter refers to a situation where an individual is free to leave and is not under any coercion or pressure from law enforcement. In this type of encounter, the police do not have any authority that compels the individual to stay or respond to questions. The key characteristic of a consensual encounter is that the individual feels free to decline to answer questions or to leave the interaction at any time.

This is distinct from other types of encounters, such as those involving a demand for identification, where individuals might feel compelled to comply due to the authoritative nature of the police request. A temporary stop without an exit option, often associated with investigative stops, reflects a situation where the individual is not free to leave, and legal arrest powers imply a loss of personal freedom that is not present in consensual encounters. These delineations highlight the voluntary nature and freedom associated with a consensual encounter.