The basketball star's widow has filed a lawsuit against the sheriff's deputies who arrived at the scene of the helicopter crash in which he was killed • "One of them showed the photos to a woman during a date"
Basketball legend, Kobe Bryant // Photo: AFP
Vanessa Bryant, the widow of American basketball star Kobe Bryant, has filed a lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office alleging she suffered mental distress after discovering that sheriff's deputies who arrived at the scene of the helicopter crash in which Bryant, his daughter Jiana (13) were killed And others, took pictures of the bodies of the basketball legend and his daughter using their smartphones.
The American gossip website TMZ reported yesterday that according to the prosecution documents at least 8 sheriff's deputies who were present at the scene photographed the bodies and the scene of the helicopter crash that caused the deaths of seven more.
The sheriff's deputies presented the photos to their colleagues in the sheriff's office and at least one of them presented them to a woman during a date.
This incident that took place at the bar was exposed about seven months ago by the bartender where he got upset when he heard the young deputy sheriff bragging in front of the woman who was trying to impress and reported it.
The sheriff's office knew about the incident about three weeks before it was revealed.
Vanessa Bryant claims in the lawsuit that the district sheriff, Alex Willenova, tried to whitewash the affair when he told the deputy sheriff who took the photos that they would not take disciplinary action against them if they deleted the photos.
He claimed his purpose was to destroy evidence, she said Sheriff Willenova did not update the families on the photos and they learned about them after they were reported in the media.
Vanessa Bryant also claims that the district sheriff has never officially updated her on the photos and that she is in constant fear that they will be leaked.
"Mrs. Bryant feels distressed at the thought of strangers staring at pictures of her dead husband and daughter and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day be exposed to the horrific pictures of their loved ones online."
The amount of the lawsuit has not yet been revealed.
Bryant and his daughter were killed in a helicopter crash on January 26.
The helicopter was supposed to fly them and other families to a basketball game.
According to estimates the weather conditions and conduct of the pilot affected the crash.
