Vanessa Bryant is “absolutely devastated” by allegations that sheriff’s deputies have been sharing pictures from the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Kobe Byrant, and daughter, Gianna.
The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department launched an investigation on Friday after reports that deputies showed off photos of the scene, including the bodies of the victims who died in the crash. Vanessa Bryant’s lawyer Gary Robb said in a Saturday statement that those responsible should receive the “harshest possible discipline,” according to the Los Angeles Times.
Robb said that after the Jan. 26 crash, the NBA legend’s widow personally went to the sheriff’s office and asked that the scene be protected from photographers and labeled a “no-fly zone.”
“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,” he explained, adding that those allegedly responsible for sharing the images should be identified “to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated.”
The photos were reportedly shown to others outside of the context of the investigation. One person reported that a deputy was showing off the graphic photos while at a bar. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department spokeswoman, Deputy Grace Medrano, said investigators were “looking into the situation” on Friday.
“Hopefully, we’ll hear more — what was going on and how they found out,” said Patti Giggans, chairwoman of the Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission. “At this point, we have to trust that the sheriff is going to get to the bottom of it.”
Kobe Bryant, 41, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others were traveling in a helicopter to a youth basketball game when the chopper crashed in Calabasas, California, killing everyone onboard.
