These are emergency conditions which allow police officers to enter private property without a warrant due to an immediate need to protect lives, pursue suspects, or prevent destruction of evidence.
It's like when you break a window to enter a house because you see it's on fire and someone is trapped inside. You don't have time to find the key, so you act immediately to prevent harm.
Fourth Amendment: The part of the U.S. Constitution that protects people from unreasonable searches and seizures by government officials.
Warrantless Searches: Searches conducted by law enforcement without a warrant, usually justified by exigent circumstances or consent.
Probable Cause: A reasonable basis for believing that a crime may have been committed (for an arrest) or when evidence of the crime is present in the place to be searched (for a search).
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