Two Florida police officers have reportedly been disciplined for sharing the news of Bob Saget's death before the comedian’s family had been informed of his passing.
Saget was found dead in his hotel room at the Ritz-Carlton in Orlando on 9 January, aged 65, and his cause of death was later confirmed as an accidental trauma to the head.
Orange County deputy Emiliano Silva reportedly sent a text to his brother informing him of Saget's death, which was then shared on Twitter. Another deputy named Steven Reed is said to have texted the news to his neighbours.
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According to Fox News, both deputies have been disciplined for violating the sheriff department's dissemination of information directive.
Silva - who was one of the first officers to respond to the scene - allegedly informed his sibling of Saget’s death hours after the Full House star was found unresponsive.
His brother then shared the news on Twitter, something Silva was reportedly unaware of.
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Silva was shown a screengrab of his brother’s tweet 40 minutes after it was posted, and although it was then deleted, the news of Saget’s passing had already been picked up on by numerous media outlets, according to Fox.
Deputy Reed was not part of the investigation but was told Saget had died by a colleague and is said to have passed the information onto neighbours.
Fox reports that Reed’s neighbours had seen Saget live days before he died.
UNILAD has approached the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for comment.
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Saget’s family members had contacted police after failing to reach him when he was due to check out of his hotel.
He had been in Orlando performing his new stand-up show, I Don’t Do Negative, which he was due to tour until June.
Confirming his death in a statement, his family said: “He was everything to us and we want you to know how much he loved his fans, performing live and bringing people from all walks of life together with laughter.
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“Though we ask for privacy at this time, we invite you to join us in remembering the love and laughter that Bob brought to the world.”
They confirmed his cause of death in a separate statement, saying: “They [authorities] have concluded that he accidentally hit the back of his head on something, thought nothing of it and went to sleep. No drugs or alcohol were involved.”
If you have experienced a bereavement and would like to speak with someone in confidence contact Cruse Bereavement Care via their national helpline on 0808 808 1677
Aisha Nozari