North Carolina Basic Law Enforcement Training (BLET) State Practice Exam

True or False: Officers can enter a home without a search warrant if exigent circumstances are present.

1. True

2. False

3. Only in violent crime situations

4. Only with prior notice to the homeowner

The correct answer is: True

The assertion that officers can enter a home without a search warrant if exigent circumstances are present is true. Exigent circumstances provide law enforcement with the legal justification to bypass the warrant requirement due to an urgent situation where time is a critical factor, and waiting to obtain a warrant could result in evidence being destroyed, a suspect fleeing, or a person's safety being compromised. Exigent circumstances may occur in various scenarios, such as when officers hear sounds indicating that someone inside is in distress or when they have reason to believe that evidence is being actively destroyed. This principle is grounded in the need to act quickly in potentially life-threatening situations or to preserve evidence, reflecting a balance between protecting individual rights and ensuring public safety.