April 13, 2026·25-30377·Per Curiam·By James Taylor
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit affirmed the conviction of Demario Montrell Rodgers for possession of a firearm as a felon. The court held that law enforcement officers possessed reasonable suspicion to conduct an investigatory stop based on the totality of the circumstances.
Demario Montrell Rodgers appealed his conviction following a conditional guilty plea to possession of a firearm after a prior felony conviction. He argued that the district court erred in denying his motion to suppress because the investigatory stop was not supported by reasonable suspicion.
The court’s reasoning
The court determined that based on the totality of the circumstances, officers had reasonable suspicion to justify an investigatory stop. The record indicated Rodgers’s presence in a high crime area, his furtive gestures, and his evasive maneuvers supported this finding. The court relied on United States v. Wright and United States v. Darrell to support its conclusion.
What it means going forward
This decision reinforces the standard for reasonable suspicion in investigatory stops involving firearms, particularly when combined with location in high crime areas and suspicious behavior.
