And did you notice that previously when he was asked what was in that pocket, he said "Just my wallet." Another lie. I really do think he was being deceptive here.
From what I can tell in the footage, Gabby doesn't have her phone. The female ranger is sent to retrieve it from the van. Brian gets squirrely and insists on getting it for her, saying "it's in a spot" (which implies hidden/stashed away imo). He turns it on, hands it to the ranger. She takes it back and gives it to Gabby. From then on, Gabby visibly has her phone in her possession while sitting in the back of the patrol car. Meanwhile, around the 55 min mark, Brian is asked to supply his contact number, for follow ups. He reaches into his pants pocket and takes out a second phone, turns it on and shows the officer the number displayed.
I still haven't come across any concrete evidence that Brian didn't have a phone, or only had a dead phone, or only had a phone which worked under limited conditions.
If there is some footage or confirmed posts where Brian or Gabby talk about this, a link would be much appreciated. We have testimony from Gabby's parents that they called and texted him. We have Gabby telling him to take a charger to charge his phone. And we physically see him produce a phone that powers up and has a number he wants the police to contact him with.
MOO but I think BL lied blatantly multiple times at the traffic stop. I don't buy the idea that he meant he just didn't have a phone on him during the altercation, or that he was referring to cell service. I think he lied because it supported his narrative that he was trying to build of a patient guy worried about his fiance who was being irrational.
I don't buy his claim that he was afraid she would leave him by taking the van, van keys and phone. All indications from the footage and witness reports are that she was the one in desperate fear of being separated from him, separated from her phone, separated from her keys, her belongings, and most importantly her home/van - which was also her work vehicle. JMO.