LA DISGRACE! Kobe Bryant Crash Graphic Photos Reportedly Being Shared by First Responders
A month after the tragic helicopter crash that took the life of NBA star Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven other passengers, a concern is raised for the possible leak of some graphic photos from the crash scene.
According to a Los Angeles Times report, some L.A County sheriff deputies are sharing graphic photos of human remains from the area where the helicopter crashed at the mountains of Calabasas, California.
One of the anonymous sources said that two days after the tragic crash, first responders have been sharing photos from the crash scene, showing the victim's remains.
Allegedly, the responders are showing the graphic photos stored on their smartphones. The source confirmed that one official let him peek at one of the images, although he has nothing to do with the investigation.
However, it was not clear if the photos were taken by the first responders at the scene or were only received from someone else. It is also not clear how wide the images have been shared considering that a month already passed after the tragic accident.
Authorities expressed regret over the alleged behavior and referred to it as "completely unprofessional."
Sheriff Civilian Oversight Commission chair Patti Giggans told The Los Angeles Times: "Hopefully we'll hear more, what was going on and how they found out."
"At this point, we have to trust that the sheriff is going to get to the bottom of it," she added.
The commission's executive director, Brian Williams, also said that his office is planning to investigate the photo-sharing incident during a scheduled Sheriff's Department meeting next week.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles County Sheriff's spokeswoman, Deputy Grace Medrano, said that they are already looking into the situation involving their deputies.
"I'm sure it's something that the department is going to take very seriously," Williams said
Kobe and Gigi died in a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas California on the 26th of January together with seven other passengers, namely baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and daughter Alyssa; mother and daughter Sarah and Payton Chester; basketball coach Christina Mauser and pilot Ara Zobayan.
The crew was en route to a basketball tournament in Kobe's own Mamba Academy, where he serves as a coach to Gianna's team.
The group was on board the Sikorsky S-76B helicopter on a foggy morning. According to the preliminary investigation, the aircraft was at high speed when it hit the ground.
National Transportation Safety Board -- the investigating body handling the case -- earlier released photos from the crash scene, but it only featured the remains of the wreckage and without bodies of the victim.
It was also reported that Kobe's widow Vanessa Bryant has filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the Fillmore-based Island Express Holding Corporation and Island Express Helicopters, the company managing the helicopter used by Kobe's crew.
Vanessa demanded emotional damages and compensation for the loss of financial support of the families of the victims, as well as to cover funeral expenses.
