She can't sue for a "hypothetical harm" that they might be shared publicly, the county said in filings. CALABASAS, Calif. An institutional culture of callousness led Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters to shoot and share photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the Lakers star, his 13-year-old daughter and seven others, a lawyer for Bryants widow told a jury Wednesday. Los Angeles County has now hit back in new court documents askingVanessato undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether or not shes actually been as distressed as shes claimed. Olly Murs breaks down on stage over Caroline Flack 'regret', Fulham's Pereira stretchered off with suspected broken leg in worrying scenes, One dead and seven injured as knifeman goes on bloody rampage near club, 'Meghan killed me - then she mourns me', says estranged dad Thomas Markle, News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. All rights reserved. WebIn September 2020, Bryant sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, the county's fire department, the county as a whole, and eight officers in the wake of reports reported "No fewer than 8 sheriff's deputies at the crash site, pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents and coaches," says the lawsuit, which TMZ obtained a copy of. Please stop describing the scene to me, he, Please refrain from taking my brain back to that crash site, he, Throughout his testimony, Jordan grew increasingly frustrated when probed about the specific details of his actions and even walked away from the stand on three occasions, according to, Jordan left the courtroom for the first time, accompanied by his lawyer, after being asked if he had photographed Kobes body at the scene, prompting him to rise from his seat saying: I need a break, I need a break., I had an image in my head that was not pleasant, he, When asked whether he photographed the remains of 13-year-old Gianna, Jordan, Prior to the trial, Jordan had made efforts to. And that's definitely what we do not want.. The union representing Los Angeles County firefighters did not respond to a request for comment. Copyright 2023 sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, took and shared photos of the January 2020 crash site. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Capt. Imbrenda alleged he was demoted for refusing to hand over his personal cellphone during the investigation into the photos, which he said was a violation of the Firefighter Bill of Rights. One of them was the bartender to whom LA Sheriff's Deputy Joey Cruz showed photos of Kobe Bryant's body. David Katz, the team leader of LASD Malibu Search and Rescue, previously testified Doug Johnson, an LASD deputy, had alone taken hundreds of photos with his cellphone. Imbrenda did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The Associated Press contributed to this report. She also discussed the photo practices of the coroner's office describing a more ad-hoc approach to site photography in the sheriff's department's system that could've allowed photos to be taken and shared. Tony Imbrenda filed a retaliation lawsuit in November. Emily Tauscher, the head of investigations at the LA County coroner's office, took center stage on the second day of the trial between Vanessa Bryant and Los Angeles County. "Ms. Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child, and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online," the documents said. I was there. Included among the keepsakes are theNBAstar's high school jersey and warmups, which she said their family didn't get back until 2013. The captain, whose name is not included in the court declaration, said he was told by superiors that if deputies deleted the photos "there would be no discipline," but if the photos became public, "all bets were off and they would be fired.". She stood up and walked out, wiping tears from her eyes. All rights reserved. Vanessa Bryants lawsuit accuses a number of deputies, firefighters, and other officials of taking or sharing photos of dead bodies at the scene, including those of Kobe and the couple's teenage daughter, Gianna. She lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online., Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images, Andrew D. Bernstein / NBAE via Getty Images, The fourth day of proceedings got underway on Monday, with a number of. Victor Gutierrez, a Norwalk, California, bartender was working at the Baja California Bar and Grill on January 28, 2020, when his friend, LA Sheriff's Deputy Joey Cruz walked in wearing a leather jacket and a white t-shirt. "I keep EVERYTHING for my baby and our girls," she added. I was in disbelief, Mendez, a real estate investor from Cerritos, said from the witness stand. I do not remember being there. At times, it appeared that Cruz and Gutierrez were smiling and laughing after viewing the photos but Gutierrez disputed that interpretation. The two firefighters -- one of whom was at the site solely to monitor safety procedures -- were sent "intention to discharge" letters last December. Bryant feels ill at the thought that sheriffs deputies, firefighters and members of the public have gawked at gratuitous images of her deceased husband and child, the lawsuit Low water lines from the drought in California can be seen on the banks of Lake McClure formed by the New Exchequer Dam in Mariposa County last month. Crash photos firefighters graphic. All nine people aboard, including the pilot, Ara Zobayan, died in the crash. Sheriff Alex Villanueva condemned the deputies' behavior and, in a move that has since been heavily criticized, ordered them to delete the photos. They maintain the photos did not spread from outside the bar and were deleted shortly after. View our online Press Pack. Bryant's attorneys then filed an amended lawsuit that listed the names of the deputies Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell, and Raul Versales and detailed allegations against each. A Los Angeles County fire captain and media liaison identified as Tony Imbrenda previously filed his own civil action related to the crash, saying he was retaliated against for refusing to hand over his personal cellphone for inspection after he already handed over his department cellphone and laptop. The disclosure was made by lawyers for the late basketball stars wife, Vanessa Bryant, in court documents related to her invasion of privacy lawsuit against Los Angeles County. Soumya Karlamangla, Isabella Grulln Paz and Briana Scalia contributed to California Today. Plaintiff brought this lawsuit because she is concerned that photographs may be publicly disseminated. During testimony Thursday, Gutierrez was often forgetful and told the court that he did not remember most of the conversations he had that night. Sign up for notifications from Insider! On August 24, 2022, a unanimous jury determined that Los Angeles County must pay Vanessa $16million over the photos. Several Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies -- none of whom were directly involved in the investigation of the crash -- are also included in the lawsuit because they are accused of taking or passing around the grisly photos with family, friends and, in one case, a bar patron and a bartender who later complained to the sheriff's department. Vanessa Bryant, center, the widow of Kobe Bryant, leaves a federal courthouse in Los Angeles, Wednesday, Aug. 10, 2022. Imbrenda did, however, hand over his department cellphone and laptop, the Times reported. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. A deputy showed off the crash site pics to a woman he was trying to impress at a bar, the lawsuit claims. Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. He took his own photos the next day, the Times reported, but denied taking photos of the victims' bodies and said he did not take photos with his personal cellphone. The captain of the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station, which oversees the area where the crash occurred, pushed back on the decision but was overruled. Gutierrez said he didn't know why he was making those gestures. The captain of the Malibu/Lost Hills sheriff's station, which oversees the area where the crash occurred, pushed back on the decision but was overruled. Capt. Among the other items are the Adidas sneakersKobewore during his championship run with theLos AngelesLakers and the champagne-soaked locker room t-shirt he wore after winning the championship in 2001. Both of the employees sent their graphic photos to a third fire department employee who was on site to assist with press briefings, the filing claims. The Los Angeles County Fire Department said, while it has no confirmed The jury also awarded $15million to Vanessa's co-plaintiff, Chris Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash. Vanessa shared Instagram photos of memorabilia pieces she collected during her late husband's career last year amid the legal drama. Kobe Bryant crash: Los Angeles Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, had previously declined to say if the deputies named by Bryant have been disciplined, are on modified duty or even if they're still employed by the department. Access your favorite topics in a personalized feed while you're on the go. The County brings this motion to compel IMEs of the Plaintiffs, which are necessary to evaluate the existence, extent and nature of Plaintiffs alleged emotional injuries. In subsequent filings, Bryant's legal team also said it learned by examining internal documents from the sheriff's department and fire department that as many as 66 county employees had knowledge of the photos and at least 18, including the four named deputies, had either taken or shared the pictures directly. Another was the man who reported Cruz after the bartender told him what he had just seen. The deputies The plaintiffs are seeking damages for emotional distress. Bryant feels ill at the thought that sheriffs deputies, firefighters and members of the public have gawked at gratuitous images of her deceased husband and child, the lawsuit states. Los Angeles County has now hit back in new court documents askingVanessato undergo a psychiatric evaluation to determine whether or not shes actually been as distressed as shes claimed. Bryant is suing the county for negligence, emotional distress, and invasion of privacy claims as well as federal claims which relate to the constitutional right to the images of her deceased loved ones, and LA County agency practices that led to the alleged taking and dissemination of photos. After they settled in, footage showed Gutierrez approaching them and he "sounded very excited," Mendez told the court. The suit claims the Sheriff never gave the family clear answers, and now Vanessa lives in constant fear that the devastating photos will leak to the public. She told the courtroom that the coroner's office did not invite the families to identify their loved ones after the crash because of the intense and unidentifiable nature of their condition. The sheriff's department initially withheld from the public court file the names of four of the accused deputies, citing concerns they would be targeted for harassment or hacking if publicly identified. and suppliers. Representatives from the union that represents firefighters did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment Wednesday. Melody Sage, left, and Rosco Kickingstone were married June 24 at the Helen Diller Playground in San Franciscos Mission Dolores Park. They then sent the photos to a third firefighter -- a media relations officer who went to the scene and later shared the images with off-duty firefighters and their wives and girlfriends while socializing at an awards ceremony at a Hilton hotel the month after the crash. Villanueva allegedly didn't tell the victims' families about the images - their loved ones only learned of the scandal in the media after the story broke, according to the lawsuit. Ron Hernandez, president of the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, had previously declined to say if the deputies named by Bryant have been disciplined, are on modified duty or even if they're still employed by the department. Plaintiffs cannot claim that they are suffering from ongoing depression, anxiety and severe emotional distress and then balk at having to support their claims., Vanessas attorneys slammed the request, calling out the county for trying to force the evaluations on all of the surviving family, including four teenagers, a 10-year-old child, and a 5-year-old kindergartener., The lawyers added in their response filings: "The County has resorted to scorched-earth discovery tactics designed to bully Plaintiffs into abandoning their pursuit of accountability.". Villanueva told NBC News inMarch 2020the behavior was "inexcusable," "inappropriate" and "unconscionable," and said the deputies were immediately ordered to delete the images. This service is provided on News Group Newspapers' Limited's Standard Terms and Conditions in accordance with our Privacy & Cookie Policy. The former LA Fire Department captain was present at the scene of the incident and spoke of images that will haunt [him] forever after admitting that he took 25 to 30 photographs of the crash site. Then, the employee who received the photos shared them with a group of off-duty firefighters and their wives and girlfriends during an awards ceremony at a Hilton hotel in February 2020, the paperwork states. Bryants lawsuit accuses a number of deputies, firefighters and other officials of taking or sharing photos of dead bodies at the scene, including those of Kobe Bryant and the couple's teenage daughter, Gianna. The Sheriff, Alex Villanueva spoke to the media in Los Angeles [] Solitary confinement bill: The state Senate Appropriations Committee on Thursday passed Assembly Bill 2632, which would restrict the use of solitary confinement. WebAn institutional culture of callousness led Los Angeles county deputies and firefighters to shoot and share photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims of the 2020 "Had we done the original, usual routine, which was relieve everybody of duty and everybody lawyers up and all that, that would increase the odds 10-fold that those photos would have somehow made their way into the public domain, Villanueva added. County cops and fire officials took and shared graphic photos of Kobe and Gigi Bryant's crash Emily Tauscher gave graphic testimony about the post-crash condition of The court documents were filed Monday as part of widow Vanessa Bryant's federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County that alleges invasion of privacy. The Sun website is regulated by the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), Our journalists strive for accuracy but on occasion we make mistakes. Copyright 2023 The two firefighters were sent "intention to discharge" letters in December after a fire department internal investigation concluded they had taken photos of the dead bodies in the helicopter wreckage that "served no business necessity" and "only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip," Bryant's attorneys said in a declaration in support of delaying the lawsuit trial to allow time for additional investigation. During his testimony, Gutierrez said he remembered briefly seeing graphic images, but could not recall telling anyone else including Mendez about what he had seen. ABC7 Eyewitness News Watch Now Kobe and Gigi were on their way to the Mamba Academy for basketball practice when the private helicopter went down in the Calabasas mountains northwest of Los Angeles. And that is fact, not speculation.. Thanks for reading. And that's definitely what we do not want.. This March through June will be especially spectacular, as the meadow bursts into wildflower bloom.. ", Videos showed Gutierrez making motions towards his head, neck, and torso as if to describe the injuries in the photos when speaking with other parties. Two other victims families settled for $1.25 million each last year. I was disappointed, disgusted and angry.. The suit claims the Sheriff never gave the family clear answers, and now Vanessa lives in constant fear that the devastating photos will leak to the public. You must enable JavaScript in your browser to view and post comments. A songwriter and his sister take on a Hollywood hills fixer-upper. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Lawyers representing Los Angeles County said that taking photographs of fatal crime and accident scenes was common practice for investigative and information-sharing purposes, and that no crash site photos had ever been distributed publicly because, in part, all county personnel deleted the images from their phones and they cannot be recovered. Anyone can read what you share. Kobe's wife sued the LAPD sheriff after the graphic photos showed the remains of the NBA star and eight others who died in the helicopter crash in Calabasas, California. Vanessa Bryant's suit is seeking punitive damages from the county defendants. Summer of NIMBY: Tech moguls and investors, whose industry champions housing relief, have banded together to object to a plan for multifamily homes near their estates in Atherton. WebMay 13, 2021. The County brings this motion to compel IMEs of the Plaintiffs, which are necessary to evaluate the existence, extent and nature of Plaintiffs alleged emotional injuries. Federal safety officials blamed pilot error for the wreck that killed the Los Angeles Lakers basketball star. The two firefighters were sent "intention to discharge" letters last December after a fire department internal investigation concluded they had taken photos of the dead bodies in the helicopter wreckage that "served no business necessity" and "only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip," Bryant's attorneys said in a declaration in support of delaying the lawsuit trial to allow time for additional investigation.