What term describes specific facts and circumstances leading a reasonable officer to suspect criminal activity?

The term that correctly describes specific facts and circumstances leading a reasonable officer to suspect criminal activity is reasonable suspicion. Reasonable suspicion is a legal standard in a law enforcement context that allows an officer to stop and briefly detain a person for investigation if they have a particularized and objective basis for suspecting that an individual is involved in criminal behavior.

This standard is lower than probable cause, which is necessary for obtaining a warrant or making an arrest. Reasonable suspicion is based on the officer's observations, experience, and training, combined with the totality of the circumstances. This allows officers to act on their instincts, provided they have rational grounds to believe that criminal activity may be afoot.

In contrast, a hunch does not have the requisite legal backing or specific facts needed to justify a stop and lacks the objective basis that reasonable suspicion entails. Probable cause, while related, requires a stronger belief that a crime has been committed or is being committed, and criminal intent refers specifically to a person's intention to commit a crime, which is not the same as the grounds for a stop or investigation.