Last month, 30-year-old Linus Phillip was shot and killed at a WaWa gas station by Largo, Florida police.
According to reports, officials say they were on patrol when they noticed a car with illegally tinted windows. As a result, the officers approached the vehicle and started dialog with Phillip, the driver. Amid the conversation, officials say they smelled marijuana coming from the car.
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When the officers tried to detain Phillip and search his vechile, he hopped in the car and attempted to drive away. However, one of the officers was still trapped halfway in the car as Phillip tried to escape, which prompted the officer to fire shots inside the car in self-defense.
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The officer narrowly avoided being run over but Phillip was killed in the incident. Within days after the shooting, officials launched an investigation.
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However, according to reports, as part of the investigation the officers needed access to the victim’s phone. As a result, two detectives reportedly went to the funeral home where Phillip’s body was held and used his finger to try to unlock his phone.
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While some say the actions of the detectives were legal, the fiancée of the deceased felt their actions were disrespectful.
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“I just felt so disrespected and violated,” Victoria Armstrong said. “Nobody even calling us from the facility to let us know detectives were coming there at all is very disturbing. I’m very skeptical of all funeral homes now.” However, Lt. Randall Chaney said there is no expectation of privacy after death, so a warrant was not needed.
