Kobe Bryant's widow is "totally devastated" by allegations that Los Angeles police have shared photos of the fatal helicopter crash scene with her husband and eight others, says his lawyer. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department said on Friday that an investigation had been opened. The Los Angeles Times said on Thursday that police had shared images showing human remains in the days following the January 26 accident on Calabasas Hill, northwest of Los Angeles.
The LA Times revelations surfaced after a lawsuit, said TMZ, which first announced Bryant's death. According to this news website, an intern at the deputy sheriff, present at the scene, took photos with a smartphone. After that, he was reportedly seen in a bar showing the images to another customer. The owner of the establishment would then have filed a complaint.
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CORRECTED: The department at issue is the Los Angeles County Fire Dept (LACoFD) NOT the LAFD KANSAS CITY, Mo .-- (repost: BUSINESS WIRE) - Statement From Gary C. Robb, Legal Counsel on Behalf of His Client, Vanessa Bryant: Our client, Vanessa Bryant, is absolutely devastated by allegations that deputies from the Lost Hills Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department publicly disseminated photos from the helicopter crash site. Mrs. Bryant personally went to the Sheriff's office on January 26th and requested that the area be designated a no-fly zone and protected from photographers. This was of critical importance to her as she desired to protect the dignity of all the victims, and their families. At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families' privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests. First responders should be trustworthy. It is inexcusable and deplorable that some deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff's substation, other surrounding substations and LACOFD would allegedly breach their duty. This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families. We are demanding that those responsible for these alleged actions face the harshest possible discipline, and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated. We are requesting an Internal Affairs investigation of these alleged incidents. Mrs. Bryant is grateful to the individual who filed an online complaint exposing these acts of injustice, and for the choice to protect human dignity. We ask that anyone else who has information as to the facts underlying these alleged grievous and shameful incidents contact our office at 816–474-8080 or email via www.robbrobb.com
A publication shared by Vanessa Bryant (@vanessabryant) on March 1, 2020 at 8:22 am PST
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