Kobe Bryant ‘leaked crash site photos’ has left wife Vanessa ‘absolutely devastated’ – The Sun

COPS' alleged leak of the Kobe Bryant crash site photos has left his widow Vanessa "absolutely devastated."

Kobe's grieving wife was reportedly horrified when California cops were accused of showing off horrific photos of the tragedy, which killed nine people.



Vanessa, 37 – who lost her husband Kobe, 41, and their daughter Gianna, 13, when the chopper crashed in an LA hillside – was disgusted cops allegedly showed off photos of the victims' remains.

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department deputies linked to the leak were told they would not get in trouble if they deleted the pictures, reports the Los Angeles Times

Vanessa's lawyer Gary Robb said that she went to the sheriff's office on January 26, the day of the crash, to request that the area "be designated a no-fly zone and protected from photographers."

“This was of critical importance to her as she desired to protect the dignity of all the victims, and their families," Robb revealed.

"At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families’ privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests."

'UNSPEAKABLE VIOLATION'

Vanessa's attorney described the allegations cops shared the photos in a bar as “an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families."

He called for those who shared the photos to “face the harshest possible discipline, and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated."

Public safety sources told the Los Angeles Times that the deputies were told they'd be let off the hook if they came clean at the station and deleted the disturbing pictures – which could amount to the destruction of evidence.

The Times' damning report prompted an investigation by the Sheriff’s Department after the crash site photos were allegedly used by an LA cop to impress a girl at a bar following the fatal crash.



Patti Giggans, chairwoman of the sheriff’s department’s Civilian Oversight Commission, said the incident was “completely unprofessional” and “very regrettable.”

The commission's Executive Director Brian Williams told the Times his office were going to grill the sheriff’s department officials about it next week.

In a statement issued on Friday, Sheriff Alex Villanueva’s department said it was “deeply disturbed” by the alleged misuse of the photos, promising “a thorough investigation.”

Villanueva didn't comment two days ago when he was quizzed about whether he ordered the deletion of the photos, the Times reported.

The news of an alleged cover-up emerged after a number of LA County Sheriff's deputies took graphic photos at the crash scene that included remains, TMZ reported.

GRAPHIC LEAK

One of them had "tried to impress a girl by showing her the photos," a police source told the publication.

An online complaint was filed with the Sheriff's Department after the bartender listened in on the conversation.

TMZ was also told the images circulated among members of the LA County Fire Department and the Lost Hills Sheriff's substation, who were first on scene.

Images of the 41-year-old NBA legend and the eight other victims' remains were reportedly shared just two days after the tragedy on January 26, sources also told the Times.

The LA-based publication reported two public safety sources claimed the deputies shared graphic photos of the crash.

One of the unidentified sources allegedly said he saw one of the images on an official's phone, at a time and place that was unrelated to the crash investigation.

Kobe and his 13-year-old daughter were buried two weeks after they tragically died in a helicopter crash alongside seven others as the group was headed to Kobe's Mamba Sports Academy training facility.

The others killed were college baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife Keri, and their daughter Alyssa, Christina Mauser, a coach at Mamba Sports Academy, passengers Sarah and Payton Chester and pilot Zobayan.

The Sikorsky-76 chopper came down in fog in the Calabasas mountains northwest of Los Angeles.





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