If officers believe evidence is about to be destroyed, what can they do?

When officers believe that evidence is about to be destroyed, they are permitted to enter a location without a warrant due to the exigent circumstances exception to the warrant requirement. This principle is based on the need to prevent the loss of evidence that could be critical for a case. Exigent circumstances allow law enforcement to act quickly when there’s no time to obtain a warrant, such as when an officer reasonably believes that immediate action is necessary to prevent the destruction of evidence.

In situations like this, timing is critical; thus, waiting for a warrant would not be appropriate as it could result in the evidence being lost or destroyed. While requesting backup or calling for the suspect to exit might seem reasonable in some scenarios, neither of these options addresses the immediate need to secure evidence that is at risk of being destroyed. Therefore, entering the premises without a warrant is justified under these circumstances to preserve evidence crucial to an investigation.