NOWHERE TO HIDE

Deputies Accused of Taking Twisted Kobe Bryant Helicopter Crash Photos Can Be Named, Says Judge

Last month, Vanessa Bryant urged the sheriff’s department to release the identities of the deputies so they can be held accountable for their alleged actions.

The Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies accused of taking and sharing photos of the site of Kobe Bryant’s fatal helicopter crash will be released to his wife, a federal judge has ruled. Last month, Vanessa Bryant urged the sheriff’s department to release the identities of the deputies, writing: “Anyone else facing allegations would be unprotected, named, and released to the public... These specific deputies need to be held accountable for their actions just like everyone else.” Attorneys for the LASD wanted to keep their names and ranks secret, arguing that, if they became public, hackers might target them to steal the photos. However, according to CNN, U.S. District Judge John F. Walter said in a ruling on Monday that the LASD argument is “totally inconsistent with their position that such photographs no longer exist,” and dismissed their attempt to keep the identities private. The deputies can now be named in Bryant’s civil-rights lawsuit against the county and the sheriff’s department.