None of the three were identified by name,and their employment status was not clear. The county continues to express its deepest sympathies for the families that suffered this terrible loss, county lawyer Mira Hashmall told, The county has also worked tirelessly for two and half years to make sure its site photos of the crash were never publicly disseminated, the statement said. Included among the keepsakes are theNBAstar's high school jersey and warmups, which she said their family didn't get back until 2013. USA Todayreports the filings read: "Despite putting their mental condition front and center in this case, Plaintiffs refuse to submit to independent medical examinations (IMEs). New court filings allege that dozens of public employees were aware of grisly imagery in Kobe Bryant crash photo lawsuit. The court documents were filed Monday as part of widow Vanessa Bryant's federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County that alleges invasion of privacy. Several Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies -- none of whom were directly involved in the investigation of the crash -- are also included in the lawsuit because they are accused of taking or passing around the grisly photos with family, friends and, in one case, a bar patron and a bartender who later complained to the sheriff's department. Bryant first filed the invasion of privacy lawsuit in state court in September, then moved it to federal court a month later, accusing county employees of having "shown off" photos of the remains of her husband and teenage daughter for no law enforcement purpose. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. "No fewer than 8 sheriff's deputies at the crash site, pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents and coaches," says the lawsuit, which TMZ obtained a copy of. In a courtroom on the seventh floor of the marbled federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, a high-stakes drama is playing out, pitting one of the countrys largest law enforcement agencies against the widow of one of the citys patron saints. Attorneys representing L.A. County have asked the judge to dismiss Bryant's case, arguing that because the photos never made it into the public domain, Bryant hasn't suffered any actual harm and that no invasion of privacy took place. Federal safety officials blamed pilot error for the wreck that killed the Los Angeles Lakers basketball star. Kobe Bryant's widow has been awarded $16m (13.6m) in damages over leaked graphic photos of the helicopter crash that killed the US basketball star and his daughter in 2020. They then sent the photos to a third firefighter -- a media relations officer who went to the scene and later shared the images with off-duty firefighters and their wives and girlfriends while socializing at an awards ceremony at a Hilton hotel the month after the crash. At least eight Los Angeles County employees have been accused of taking graphic pictures of the victims damaged bodies with their personal cellphones and circulating the images among colleagues and, in some instances, Handout / National Transportation Safety Board via Getty Images, Mrs. Graphic images of Kobe and Gianna Bryants death in a helicopter crash were shown at bars and an awards ceremony, according to legal documents filed in a federal court. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. WebThe legal team for Kobe Bryants widow filed documents in federal court late Monday that include descriptions of photos taken from the scene of a helicopter crash that killed her Chris Chester, whose wife, Sarah, and daughter Payton died in the crash, is also suing county workers on the same claims and will have a consolidated nine-day trial alongside Bryant's against the county. Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, had previously declined to say if the deputies named by Bryant have been disciplined, are on modified duty or even if they're still employed by the department. FILE In this Jan. 26, 2020, photo, firefighters work the scene of a helicopter crash where former NBA basketball star Kobe Bryant died in Calabasas. Lawyers representing Los Angeles County said that taking photographs of fatal crime and accident scenes was common practice for investigative and information-sharing purposes, and that no crash site photos had ever been distributed publicly because, in part, all county personnel deleted the images from their phones and they cannot be recovered. Melody is the one I want to be with in these apocalyptic times, Kickingstone told The New York Times. Gutierrez told the court that first, he winced. A songwriter and his sister take on a Hollywood hills fixer-upper. "Seeing someone you love in that state would create an image that stays with them forever.". Firefighters could lose jobs for Kobe crash photos, 'It's going to be epic': Stephen Curry and LeBron James face off -- again, Curry sets G7 record with 50 as Dubs move on, Hobbled Butler serves as 'decoy' late in Heat win, Grizz's Brooks doesn't regret verbal jab at LeBron, 'This one's on me': Brunson self-critical after loss, Jokic on Murray's playoffs: 'We are following him', Rivers: Embiid likely doubtful for G1 vs. Celtics, How do Stephen Curry and the Warriors keep doing this?! You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. WebA coroner testified in Vanessa Bryant's suit against LA County over helicopter-crash photos of Kobe. They were caught sharing graphic photos they had stored on their phones of the helicopter crash that killed Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others. Gov. And that is fact, not speculation.. Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, had previously declined to say if the deputies named by Bryant have been disciplined, are on modified duty or even if they're still employed by the department. Firefighters who took and shared photos of Kobe Bryant crash site Kobe Bryant was partially identified by his skin tone and tattoos on his arm, Tauscher testified. The filings propose that a Nov. 16 trial be postponed five months to April 27, 2022, because of a large amount of material that attorneys need to review. Stay up to date with what you want to know. Villanueva told NBC News in March 2020 the behavior was "inexcusable," "inappropriate" and "unconscionable," and said the deputies were immediately ordered to delete the images. At times, it appeared that Cruz and Gutierrez were smiling and laughing after viewing the photos but Gutierrez disputed that interpretation. Kobe Bryant crash photos Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child, and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online, Bryants lawyers wrote in a complaint. Bryant's attorneys then filed an amended lawsuit that listed the names of the deputies Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell and Raul Versales and detailed allegations against each. All rights reserved. WebTwo sheriff deputies exchanged graphic photos of the crash site where Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant and seven more perished in 2020 while they played Call of Duty, according to 2 LA County firefighters face firing over graphic photos of Kobe When Cruz left, video footage showed Gutierrez going up to cooks, coworkers, and customers at tables at least five separate parties telling them what he saw. The two firefighters -- one of whom was at the site solely to monitor safety procedures -- were sent "intention to discharge" letters last December. She offered insight into the grisly scene to give a sense of what photos of the site would show. WebMay 13, 2021. WebAn institutional culture of callousness led Los Angeles county deputies and firefighters to shoot and share photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims of the 2020 All nine people aboard, including the pilot, Ara Zobayan, died in the crash. Vanessa Bryant opens up to People magazine about coping with loss, "inexcusable," "inappropriate" and "unconscionable,". Emily Tauscher, the head of investigations at the LA County coroner's office, took center stage on the second day of the trial between Vanessa Bryant and Los Angeles County. In hisMarch 2020 interview with NBC News, Villanueva said he was focused on containing the potential distribution of the photos. Bryant feels ill at the thought that sheriffs deputies, firefighters and members of the public have gawked at gratuitous images of her deceased husband and child, the lawsuit A private citizen said he felt a "sense of betrayal" when a Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputy showed grisly photos of Kobe Bryant's dead body to a bartender, who went table-to-table telling patrons and employees about what he had just seen. Recovery after fire: One year after a wildfire charged across a craggy mountainside above Lone Pine, flashes of new growth are emerging in the still-charred corner of the Inyo National Forest, The Associated Press reports. For further details of our complaints policy and to make a complaint please click this link: thesun.co.uk/editorial-complaints/, Vanessa Bryant filed a lawsuit against the LAPD Sheriff for inappropriate photos of Kobe and Gianna's death site in 2020, The photos reportedly show the bodies of the NBA legend, his daughter, and seven others who died in the crash, Deputies allegedly allowed their colleagues to see the photos that had no investigative purpose, At least eight deputies allegedly snapped photos of the dead children, their parents and coaches, according to the lawsuit, An investigator from the National Transportation Safety Board examines the plane wreckage, LAPD Sheriff Alex Villanueva allegedly didn't tell the victims' families about the images, Vanessa claims in her filing, Charred parts from the doomed helicopter that crashed into a mountainside in Calabasas, Victim's families only learned of the scandal in the media after the story broke, the lawsuit claims, A search helicopter lands near the site where Kobe's Mamba Chopper crashed, Authorities search the scene for clues through thick plumes of smoke, Local fire crews assisted in the search for all nine victims' bodies, Vanessa shared Instagram photos of Kobe memorabilia that she collected throughout his career, She posed for a photo wearing her late husband's team jacket, Kobe's wife took a '#Keepsake' selfie in his high school basketball warm-up jacket, A photo of the jersey worn by Kobe during the 2001 NBA Finals, the year he and the Lakers won the championship, Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter Gianna were killed in a helicopter crash in California on January 26, Seven others died alongside the NBA legend and his daughter, Vanessa Bryant paystribute to her late husband Kobe and daughter with two new tattoos, askingVanessato undergo a psychiatric evaluation, showed off the crash site pics to a woman he was trying to impress, they'd get off scot-free if they deleted the photos, shared Instagram photos of memorabilia pieces, Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO). He took his own photos the next day, the Times reported, but denied taking photos of the victims' bodies and said he did not take photos with his personal cellphone. Contact Ellen Durney at ellen.durney@buzzfeed.com. Kobe Bryant crash pics exchanged by cops playing 'Call of Duty' NTSB The L.A County Sheriffs Department says that eight different deputies were ordered to delete graphic photos from the scene of Kobe Bryants deadly helicopter crash, and says he ordered the deletion to make sure the photos didnt make their way to the internet. The Associated Press contributed to this report. Kobe Bryant crash photos The two firefighters were sent "intention to discharge" letters last December after a fire department internal investigation concluded they had taken photos of the dead bodies in the helicopter wreckage that "served no business necessity" and "only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip," Bryant's attorneys said in a declaration in support of delaying the lawsuit trial to allow time for additional investigation. WebEIGHT officers from the LA County Sheriff's Department took photos of the grisly crash site where Kobe Bryant and his daughter Gianna were killed, a lawsuit claims. She also discussed the photo practices of the coroner's office describing a more ad-hoc approach to site photography in the sheriff's department's system that could've allowed photos to be taken and shared. The captain, whose name is not included in the court declaration, said he was told by superiors that if deputies deleted the photos "there would be no discipline," but if the photos became public, "all bets were off and they would be fired.". Several Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies --none of whom were directly involved in the investigation of the crash -- are also included in the lawsuit because they are accused of taking or passing around the grisly photos with family, friends and, in one case, a bar patron and a bartender who later complained to the sheriff's department. Look for a box or option labeled Home Page (Internet Explorer, Firefox, Safari) or On Startup (Chrome). 2 Grizzlies, Celtics-76ers first look: What could decide the battle of East heavyweights, Pregame chats, language arts and 'a lot of fines': Inside NBA player-ref dynamics, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Imbrenda did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. For other inquiries, Contact Us. Firefighters to be fired in Kobe Bryant helicopter crash scene Kobe's wife sued the LAPD sheriff after the graphic photos showed the remains of the NBA star and eight others who died in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Eric Leonard reports for NBC4 News at 5 p.m. on May 3, 2021. To inquire about a licence to reproduce material, visit our Syndication site. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). Vanessa Bryant arrives at Federal Court to testify Bryant's attorneys then filed an amended lawsuit that listed the names of the deputies Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell, and Raul Versales and detailed allegations against each. Vanessa Bryant is suing Los Angeles County, saying that her privacy was invaded when sheriffs deputies and firefighters privately shared photos of the fatal scene. The lawyers faulted county officials for choosing to wait until March 22 to hand over the internal reports detailing the firefighters actions even though the department decided to discharge them months earlier. Last March, U.S. District Court Judge John F. Walter ruled against the county and allowed the deputies' names to be published. The disclosure was made by lawyers for the late basketball stars wife, Vanessa Bryant, in court documents related to her invasion of privacy lawsuit against Los Angeles County. The couple climbed to the top of an extra-wide slide, where two witnesses signed their marriage license using the newlyweds backs as hard surfaces. "The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification.". After they settled in, footage showed Gutierrez approaching them and he "sounded very excited," Mendez told the court. The captain of the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station, which oversees the area where the crash occurred, pushed back on the decision but was overruled. Vanessa Bryants case claimed dissemination of the images was so widespread within the sheriff's department that one detective who received some of the pictures told investigators he couldn't remember who gave them to him. The Garden is dog friendly (pets on leash) with greeters who offer dog treats. The firefighter who received the photos and shared them with others was not named in court documents, but the Los Angeles Times has reported that Capt. They maintain the photos did not spread from outside the bar and were deleted shortly after. Federal safety officials blamed pilot error for the wreck that killed the Los Angeles Lakers basketball star. Mendez went home and, from his parked car in his driveway, sent a complaint through the Sheriffs Department website. Gavin Newsom unveiled a new strategy to collect and store more water, recycle more wastewater, and desalinate seawater and salty groundwater to address the states long-term drought problems, The Associated Press reports.