Predictive behavior with player death while wearing armor

When a player is wearing armor, then dies.

His armor appears to drop to anyone watching.
Except the armor drops are client sided.

This was achieved by tricking the client into thinking there was armor on the player.
Regardless of armor not actually being set.

Namely.

Send packet to client saying the player is wearing armor.
The player dies and the client drops the armor as items.
The items dropped cannot be interacted with or removed.

Could this predictive behavior be fixed?
I see no advantages besides that the armor appears to drop right away.