Court limits frisking of suspects

BOSTON (AP) - Law enforcement officials say a decision by Massachusetts' highest court that bars police from frisking suspected drug dealers for weapons in most cases endangers officers.

The Supreme Judicial Court's ruling Thursday said pat-downs for weapons are legal only if police have specific information the person is armed or has a violent past.

The court's decision overturned the drug dealing conviction of a Boston man. The court said a decision to pat-frisk the suspect that led to the discovery of crack cocaine was a constitutional violation.

Even though the suspect was stopped in a high crime area, police had no information he was armed or had used weapons in the past.

Lawrence Police Chief John Romero tells The Boston Globe the ruling "puts officers at risk."