Audio By Carbonatix
Vanessa Bryant has publicly released the names of the four deputies who allegedly shared unauthorized and graphic photographs of the January 2020 helicopter crash that killed Laker legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna, and seven others.
According to People, on Wednesday, Vanessa shared several multiple screenshots of the filing on her Instagram account.
Circling the defendants' names in red, Vanessa pointed out the LASD, the Los Angeles Fire Department, and four individuals: Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell, and Raul Versales.
Vanessa’s legal counsel shared in the document that she had spoken with LASD Sheriff Alex Villanueva on the morning of the tragic crash and requested the site to be secured for privacy reasons.
“[The] assurance was hollow” said her legal counsel in the document. “Sheriff’s deputies who responded to the crash used personal cell phones to take gratuitous photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches.”
The filing continued: “Photos of the remains quickly spread within the Sheriff's Department as deputies transmitted them to one another via text message and AirDrop. Within forty-eight hours, at least ten members of the Sheriff's Department obtained photos of the victims' remains on their personal cell phones despite having no legitimate governmental use of the photos.”
The document also reports that Meja, a deputy at the LASD, had responded to the crash site and “obtained multiple photographs of Bryants' remains and stored them on his personal cell phone.” He then sent photos to “at least two individuals without any legitimate governmental purpose.” Trainee deputy, Cruz, was one of the recipients.
The filing also states that Cruz then showed his niece the photos while visiting his mother’s home and showed the images to a bartender and restaurant customer at the Baja California Bar and Grill in Norwalk, Calif.
Latest Stories
-
Former Chief of Staff denies supporting Kennedy Agyapong
7 minutes -
Photos: Ghana deploys contingent of soldiers to Jamaica to support reconstruction efforts
11 minutes -
Oppong Nkrumah accuses NDC of intimidating judges in Kpandai election ruling
17 minutes -
Ministry of Lands commiserates with family after fatal shooting at Adelekezu
28 minutes -
Police arrest seven in Tamale drug crackdown, seize illicit substances
31 minutes -
Amerado sets My Motherland Concert 2025 for December 28 in Ejisu
31 minutes -
Akufo-Addo would have secured only 10% of votes in 2024 if he had contested – A Plus
36 minutes -
Underperforming energy agency heads face the axe – Minister Jinapor warns
37 minutes -
President Mahama deploys Ghana Armed Forces to aid Jamaica after hurricane
37 minutes -
Ghana Chamber of mines warns proposed gold royalty hike could harm industry
41 minutes -
Debate on term limits could drive better leadership – A Plus
42 minutes -
ECG and NEDCo performance to face tougher scrutiny in 2026 – Energy Minister
49 minutes -
Minority calls for Lands Minister Buah’s resignation over lithium deal mismanagement
49 minutes -
Seeds of hope sprout amidst the Tano River crisis: How Techiman’s youth are fighting back
1 hour -
Joy Business Review of 2025 major economic issues comes off tomorrow Dec. 18
1 hour
