A bill introduced in the California State Assembly would make it illegal for first responders to share photographs of deceased victims following a crime or other accident.
When Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter died in a helicopter crash in January, photographs of the accident and the victims’ remains were shared between first responders. Democratic State Assemblyman Mike Gipson introduced a bill that would make it illegal for first responders to take photographs of such events for personal use.
“Our first responders, when responding to an emergency, should not be taking very sensitive photographs … for their own gain, for their own pleasure,” Gipson told the Los Angeles Times on Tuesday. “It was unconscionable. It’s not right.”
Under Gipson’s bill, any official who took an unauthorized photograph of a deceased victim would be convicted of a misdemeanor that carries a punishment of up to one year in prison or a fine of $5,000. The bill covers any person acting with authority at the scene, including firefighters, police officers, paramedics, dispatchers, and medical examiners.
Additionally, the bill allows for search warrants to be issued for the phones, computers, cameras, or other devices that the photographs may be stored on.
The photographs of Bryant, his daughter, and the six others who died in the crash were first reported to authorities after a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy was spotted showing the photographs to patrons of a bar in Norwalk. Sheriff Alex Villanueva ordered officers to delete any photographs they had after the incident was reported.
“We identified the deputies involved, they came to the station on their own and had admitted they had taken them and they had deleted them. And, we’re content that those involved did that,” Villanueva said at the time.
“We’ve communicated in no uncertain terms that the behavior is inexcusable,” he added. “I mean, people are grieving for the loss of their loved ones. To have that on top of what they’ve already gone through is unconscionable. And to think any member of our department would be involved in that.”
Gary Robb, an attorney for Bryant’s widow Vanessa, said she was “absolutely devastated” after hearing about the photographs. Robb added, “This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families.”
