Person of Interest or Suspect?

[Talia K]

How would you define the difference?   It's like probable cause and reasonable suspicion.

[Gwiz]

Just an OL but couldn't a person of interest be a "scared witness", or person "at risk, or a person who has a stake (positive or negative) in the outcome.

It's the media that makes that person a suspect. 

[Talia K]

No- the media will report that the police are calling the individual a "person of interest".   

[Gwiz]

No- the media will report that the police are calling the individual a "person of interest".   

Yea, that what they do...

[dbmuell]

I always assumed that "suspect" was sort of a subset of "person of interest."  By that definition, all supects would be "persons of interest" but not all "persons of interest" would be suspects.  A person of interest seems to define anyone that may have information that the police seek (witness, person connected to the victim, etc.), but could include the person that is suspected of committing the crime. 

[LegalMatters]

No- the media will report that the police are calling the individual a "person of interest".   

Speaking on behalf of the media, these potential suspects are called "persons of interests" in print, on TV or online only when police use the term. As a soon-to-be-former police reporter, when police say they have a "person of interest" it means the person is on the list of possible suspects. In other words, the cop has a reasonable suspicion the person might be involved but not enough that a reasonable person might suspect the person is involved, falling short of probable cause. A person of interest can also be an accessory to the crime or even a material witness.

At least, that's how the cops and the prosecutors have explained it to me.