By Agence France-Presse
The Los Angeles sheriff’s department said Friday it is investigating allegations that officers shared graphic photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash site in the aftermath of the accident.
Emergency personnel work at the helicopter crash site that claimed the life of former NBA great Kobe Bryant on January 27, 2020 in Calabasas, California. Bryant, 41, his daughter Gianna, 13, and seven others perished in the accident yesterday. (Josh Lefkowitz / Getty Images / AFP)
“The matter is being looked into and we have no further comment at this time,” a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told AFP.
The Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday that deputies shared images showing human remains in the days after last month’s accident, which claimed the life of retired NBA icon Bryant and eight other people.
It was not clear how many people saw the photos or whether deputies had taken the images at the scene or received them from someone else, the Times reported.
The TMZ.com entertainment news website, which broke the news of the Bryant accident, reported on Friday that the revelations first surfaced following a complaint.
TMZ, quoting unidentified law enforcement sources, said a trainee sheriff’s deputy at the crash site had taken photos on a smartphone.
He was subsequently overheard by a bartender showing the images to a customer in a bar. The bartender then lodged a complaint, TMZ reported.
Bryant, 41, died alongside teenage daughter Gianna, when the helicopter they were traveling in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas in thick fog on January 26.
An emotional public memorial to the five-time NBA champion was held at the Staples Center on Monday.
READ MORE: ‘He was my everything’: NBA’s Kobe Bryant mourned at emotional Los Angeles tribute; Tearful Michael Jordan commemorates ‘little brother’ Kobe Bryant
Source: Manila Bulletin
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