Arkansas

Criminal Procedure

Criminal Procedure

Rule 13.3 – Execution of a Search Warrant

(a) A search warrant may be executed by any officer. The officer charged with its execution may be accompanied by such other officers or persons as may be reasonably necessary for the successful execution of the warrant with all practicable safety.
(b) Prior to entering a dwelling to execute a search warrant, the executing officer shall make known the officer’s presence and authority for entering the dwelling and shall wait a period of time that is reasonable under the circumstances before forcing entry into the dwelling. The officer may force entry into a dwelling without prior announcement if the officer reasonably suspects that making known the officer’s presence would, under the circumstances, be dangerous or futile or that it would inhibit the effective investigation of the crime by, for example, allowing the destruction of evidence. For purposes of this rule, a “dwelling” means a vehicle, building, or other structure (i) where any person lives or (ii) which is customarily used for overnight accommodation of persons whether or not a person is actually present. Each unit of a structure divided into separately occupied units is itself a dwelling.
(c) In the course of any search or seizure pursuant to the warrant, the executing officer shall give a copy of the warrant to the person to be searched or the person in apparent control of the premises to be searched. The copy shall be furnished before undertaking the search or seizure unless the officer has reasonable cause to believe that such action would endanger the successful execution of the warrant with all practicable safety, in which case he shall, as soon as is practicable, state his authority and purpose and furnish a copy of the warrant. If the premises are unoccupied by anyone in apparent and responsible control, the officer shall leave a copy of the warrant suitably affixed to the premises.
(d) The scope of search shall be only such as is authorized by the warrant and is reasonably necessary to discover the persons or things specified therein. Upon discovery of the persons or things so specified, the officer shall take possession or custody of them and search no further under authority of the warrant. If in the course of such search, the officer discovers things not specified in the warrant which he reasonably believes to be subject to seizure, he may also take possession of the things so discovered.
(e) Upon completion of the search, the officer shall make and deliver a receipt fairly describing the things seized to the person from whose possession they are taken or the person in apparent control of the premises from which they are taken. If practicable, the list shall be prepared in the presence of the person to whom the receipt is to be delivered. If the premises are unoccupied by anyone in apparent and responsible control, the executing officer shall leave the receipt suitably affixed to the premises.
(f) The executing officer, and other officers accompanying and assisting him, may use such degree of force, short of deadly force, against persons, or to effect an entry or to open containers as is reasonably necessary for the successful execution of the search warrant with all practicable safety. The use of deadly force in the execution of a search warrant, other than in self-defense or defense of others, is justifiable only if the executing officer reasonably believes that there is a substantial risk that the persons or things to be seized will suffer, cause, or be used to cause death or serious bodily harm if their seizure is delayed, and that the force employed creates no unnecessary risk of injury to other persons.

Ark. R. Crim. P. 13.3

Reporter’s Notes 2002. A new subsection (“b”) was added which incorporates the “knock and announce” requirement into the rules governing the execution of a search warrant. The subsection requires an officer executing a search warrant to “make known the officer’s presence and authority” rather than “knock and announce the officer’s presence and authority” before forcing entry so as to cover the situation where knocking would be superfluous because the occupant of the dwelling is outside the dwelling when the officer approaches to serve the warrant. The remaining subsections were redesignated.