In 12 untitled Instagram posts on Wednesday night, Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, revealed the names of the four deputies of the sheriff’s department in Los Angeles County who allegedly took or shared graphic photos of the site helicopter crash, who killed the basketball legend and their 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, as well as seven others in January 2020.
The posts show an amended complaint, filed Wednesday in the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, appointing defendants Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell and Raul Versales, as well as Los Angeles County, the sheriff’s department and the fire department. He claims negligence, invasion of privacy and violation of the 14th Amendment.
Earlier this month, a the federal judge ruled that Bryant could get the names of the deputies. Initially drafted, the department’s lawyers wanted to keep their names and lines sealed.
The lawsuit alleges that “deputies who responded to the scene of the accident used personal mobile phones to take and share free photos of dead children, parents and coaches.” According to the case, Sheriff Alex Villanueva initially assured Bryant of confidentiality when he expressed concern immediately after the incident.
The trial claims that a deputy took between 25 and 100 photos on the spot, which did not have “an imaginable purpose of investigation and were focused directly on the remains of the victims.”
The lawsuit calls the actions of MPs, who spread photos through text departments and AirDrop, “morbid gossip.” It details the role of each Member in sharing photos with people who had nothing to do with the investigation.
Within two days of the crash, at least 10 members of the department had obtained photos, the lawsuit claims.
In one case, the lawsuit alleges that Cruz showed him photos of a boss and bartender at a bar, “using his fingers to pick up the phone.” The bartender told investigators that Cruz showed him photos of the victims’ remains.
One of the bosses told investigators that he found the situation “very, very disturbing”, describing Cruz’s behavior as “very inappropriate”. He was so upset that he filed a complaint with the department shortly thereafter.
In another case, the lawsuit alleges that Russell sent a friend with a personal photo of the victims’ remains, which later indicated that the photos showed the remains of a child.
The lawsuit further alleges that several appointed officers made false statements regarding possession of photographs at the crash site during a previous department investigation.
“We will refrain from trying this case in the media and we will wait for the right place,” Villanueva said. posted on Twitter Wednesday night, appearing to refer to Bryant’s Instagram posts. “Our hearts go out to all the families affected by this tragedy.”