Police phone ping without number
Location: Connecticut
I am not a resident of connecticut for the record if that changes anything.
I have a legal question in general if anyone could help me.
I was on the thruway the other day in CT and had left my iPhone on top of my car and watched it fall off as I was driving. I pulled my car over and started looking for it in the grass in the middle of the thruway. A police officer pulled up (I believe Connecticut State Trooper) and asked what was going on. I explained to which he was friendly and understanding. He said he’d help me out and look for it but just can’t have me doing that because it’s too unsafe. He told me to wait up ahead at the nearest exit. He asked for my ID which I gave him and he pulled off. About 15 minutes later of waiting he pulled up next to my car, handed me my ID and said that he had looked but couldn’t find it and had to answer an immediate call. He said that my phone was pinged at this particular mile marker near where I was looking. I went back and was able to find it in the grass exactly where he had said it was pinged.
Firstly - I’m very confused because I never gave him my phone number at all and I never called the police about it. So how was he able to ping the exact phone to its exact location immediately without a phone number or a call?
Secondly - Is this technology they use for this for just phones in a general vicinity? Or was it for my phone number certainly? Or maybe because it’s an iPhone?
Thirdly - Did the police officer run my ID through their police system and was able to use their and records to know my phone number? Who does he then call or what does he do when he then has the phone number to use to ping its location?
I just want to know how he did that. I want to know my privacy rights with my phone number, physical cell phone and the police’s ability to either find the exact location of my phone at any given point even without my number. Or even acquire things in my phone without a warrant.
Thank you in advance.