Vanessa Bryant Sues LASD Over Kobe Crash Scene Photos Shared By Deputies, Report Says
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Vanessa Bryant is suing the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department after several deputies allegedly shared graphic photos from the helicopter crash that killed her husband, Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, and their 13-year-old daughter Gianna.
Vanessa Bryant filed a claim Friday in L.A. County Superior Court seeking damages for emotional distress and mental anguish, according to People Magazine.
On the morning of Jan. 26, Kobe, Gianna and seven others were killed when the helicopter they were riding in crashed in the Calabasas hills amid heavy fog.
On March 2, L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva confirmed that eight deputies were involved in sharing graphic photos of the helicopter crash. It's unclear if and how they were punished.
At the time, Villanueva said the department has a policy against taking and sharing photos of crime scenes. However, the policy did not apply to accident scenes.
Earlier this week, California Assemblymember Mike A. Gipson introduced bill in the California Legislature which would make it a crime for first responders to share out photos of bodies taken at crimes scenes.
Under the bill, any first responder who was found to have shared a photo of a body from a crime scene or an autopsy "for any purpose other than an official law enforcement" would face a misdemeanor charge.
The charge would carry a maximum punishment of one year in a jail and a $5,000 fine.
In February, Vanessa Bryant sued the company that owned and operated the helicopter which crashed.
CBS2 has reached out to the sheriff's department for comment and is awaiting a statement.
