Vanessa Bryant Names Officers Accused of Taking Photos of Kobe, Gianna Helicopter Crash
Just over a week after the Los Angeles Times reported that Vanessa Bryant would be allowed to obtain the names of the four sheriff's deputies who allegedly shared "unauthorized" photos of the helicopter crash site where Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others died, Bryant revealed the names of the officers in an Instagram post on Wednesday evening.
In a series of posts, Bryant shared images of lawsuit documents she filed in which the officers' names were originally redacted. Los Angeles County, the sheriff’s department, the county fire department and the four deputies in question are all named defendants.
The lawsuit states that deputies used their personal cell phones to take unauthorized and gratuitous photos of the victims upon arriving at the scene. The suit says that one deputy took between 25 and 100 pictures, "many of which had no conceivable investigatory purpose and were focused directly on the victims' remains."
The photos were shared throughout the sheriff’s department, and at least 10 employees had obtained them within 48 hours. The suit also states that sheriff's department personnel shared photos to colleagues in settings that in no way related to the investigation of the crash.
The suit also details how one officer, Joey Cruz, shared photos of the crash site to a bartender at a bar in Norwalk, Calif., and also sent the pictures to his niece.
In a Feb. 27 post, Bryant asserted her position that the names of the deputies who took and shared the pictures be revealed in order to hold the individuals and the department responsible.
"These specific deputies need to be held accountable for their actions just like everyone else," Bryant said in the post.
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