A man has questions after his hotel room led to him being interrogated by police.
In a video with over 17,000 views, Oklahoma resident Lewis (@lewisbilly.2) says that something happened to him on a recent trip to Iowa that left him shaking his head in disbelief.
According to Lewis, the strangeness began when he began receiving random food deliveries. Despite not ordering food and never paying for the deliveries, he says the food kept coming.
“This has happened several times, that food showed up,” he explains. “And I’m like, ‘I didn’t order it, and I … sure ain’t paying for it.’ I’ve ordered one thing since I’ve been in this room—a pizza, and it’s been in the refrigerator.”
At the time, Lewis mostly just shook off the experience as an oddity. However, while he was working on a job in the area, he got a call. On the other end of the line was a police officer.
Things Get Weird
Once he was connected with the police officer, the cop confirmed his identity, that he was staying at his hotel, and his room number. The officer then asked if anyone else had been in his room; Lewis confirmed that no one had and that he did not know anyone in the area.
“And [the officer] said, ‘Well, there’s a missing person, apparently, and—apparently—they got shot in your room,’” Lewis recalls. “And I said, ‘What?!’”
The officer then said that the source for this information was a post on social media. Concerned, Lewis told the officer that he could come to his hotel room and look around.
When Lewis returned to the hotel, he was told the police had already visited. Officers were unable to enter his hotel room. Lewis then waited for the police to arrive again. When they did, he offered them his room key; the officer instead insisted on going through the room together.
“I’m a pretty good person. I try not to get in trouble; I don’t like trouble,” he recalls telling the officer.
The officer then asked him questions for “15, 20 minutes,” then went on his way.
Lewis says the whole experience left him incredibly rattled.
“You can’t just call somebody and say, ‘Hey, there’s a rumor going around that this happened in that room,’” he says. “The f— is going on?”
Is A Social Media Post Enough Evidence To Investigate?
While concerns of someone going missing and getting shot are serious, one may wonder if a social media post is enough to spur an investigation.
The Supreme Court ruled in Florida v. J. L. that an anonymous tip alone was not enough to perform a search. In the case, an anonymous tipster reported that a man had a gun; police used this tip to justify a search and found a weapon. In a unanimous opinion, the Supreme Court said that an anonymous tip alone did not meet the minimum requirements to perform a warrantless search. A social media post would likely fall under this same category.
In Lewis’ case, the police did not perform any warrantless searches. Instead, Lewis voluntarily allowed his hotel room to be inspected. Police frequently use social media as a source for investigative leads. While a post alone is usually not enough evidence to perform searches, it could be enough to begin an investigation and ask a few questions of parties who may be involved.
Can Police Enter Your Hotel Room Without Permission?
Lewis says that he allowed the police to enter his hotel room. Additionally, he says that when the police came earlier that day, they were not allowed to enter his room.
Some watching this may wonder if it’s normal for police to not be able to enter a hotel room. The answer is that police, generally speaking, cannot enter a hotel room without the guest’s permission.
The case Stoner v. California found that hotel guests are afforded the same constitutional protection against unreasonable searches and seizures as people in their own homes. Although some exceptions exist, police must usually obtain a warrant before entering one’s hotel room—though they are entitled to ask for permission to enter, as was the case with Lewis.
@lewisbilly.2 Only in Iowa
BroBible reached out to Lewis via Instagram DM and comment.