Story Archive

A Touchy Subject

After police in Largo, Fla., shot and killed Linus Phillip, 30, while he was dragging an officer with his car, investigators showed up at the funeral home to collect one more bit of evidence: the data on his phone that required his fingerprint to unlock. According to Lt. Randall Chaney, the move was an (unsuccessful) attempt to “preserve data” on the phone to aid the investigation into Phillip’s death, and a separate drug inquiry involving the man. Chaney said detectives didn’t think they needed a warrant because dead people have “no expectation of privacy.” Meanwhile, Phillip’s family has been unsuccessful in getting police to release security camera footage that would prove Phillip’s shooting wasn’t justified. “What we believe happened is the officer overreacted, for whatever reason, and illegally fired,” said the family’s attorney, John Trevena. He charges police are following a “playbook” used by law enforcement to diminish outrage over police shootings. “Do what you can to slander the victims,” he said, “so the community doesn’t care.” (MS/Tampa Bay Times) ...The police action has fingered the real problem here.