perp walk

English

Etymology

According to William Safire, this term first appeared in the media in 1986.

Pronunciation
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Noun

perp walk (plural perp walks)

  1. (chiefly US, idiomatic, law enforcement) The intentional public display before news cameras of someone in police custody, especially someone famous or notorious, for the purpose of satisfying public interest, demonstrating the authorities' effectiveness, or shaming the person.
    • 2002 August 12, Daniel Eisenberg; et al, “Jail To The Chiefs?”, in Time:
      FBI agents gave former WorldCom executives Scott Sullivan and David Myers the same star treatment, parading the handcuffed quarry in an early-morning perp walk and prompting Sullivan's lawyer to complain about "the unfair taint of the current political climate."

See also

References
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