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. View our online Press Pack. Tauscher testified that the coroner's office took about 1,250 photos of the crash site, about 300 of which were of human remains. At issue: graphic victim photos taken on personal cellphones by emergency workers at the helicopter crash site in which nine people died, including the retired Los Angeles Lakers star Kobe Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna. One of them was the bartender to whom LA Sheriff's Deputy Joey Cruz showed photos of Kobe Bryant's body. The county does not condone this showing of accident site photographs and has taken corrective personnel actions accordingly, the filing in the legal battle playing out in federal court argued. Firefighters work at the scene of a helicopter crash where Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna and seven others were killed in Calabasas, Calif., on Jan. 26, 2020. Tauscher testified that human remains from the crash were scattered over 500 yards, which created an impact zone larger than two football fields while a magnesium fire from the crash was aflame. The county continues to express its deepest sympathies for the families that suffered this terrible loss, county lawyer Mira Hashmall told, The county has also worked tirelessly for two and half years to make sure its site photos of the crash were never publicly disseminated, the statement said. ", 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. Gov. Imbrenda did, however, hand over his department cellphone and laptop, the Times reported. The employment status of all three was not immediately clear Wednesday. 'Irrational confidence', Stars pay tribute to Stephen Curry after 50-point NBA playoff game, Which teams will reach the NBA conference finals? At least eight Los Angeles County employees have been accused of taking graphic pictures of the victims damaged bodies with their personal cellphones and circulating the images among colleagues and, in some instances, Handout / National Transportation Safety Board via Getty Images, Mrs. 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. Kobe Bryant crash photos WebAt issue: graphic victim photos taken on personal cellphones by emergency workers at the helicopter crash site in which nine people died, including the retired Los Angeles Lakers Bryant first filed the invasion of privacy lawsuit in state court in September 2020, then moved it to federal court a month later, accusing county employees of having "shown off" photos of the remains of her husband and teenage daughter for no law enforcement purpose. 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.". Water: Gov. Gov. Fire New court filings allege that dozens of public employees were aware of grisly imagery in Kobe Bryant crash photo lawsuit. Both Bryant and Chester left the courtroom ahead of her testimony. The county continues to express its deepest sympathies for the families that suffered this terrible loss, Mira Hashmall, a lawyer representing Los Angeles County, said in a statement. Kickingstone and Sage then slid down as their friends waved ribbon wands on either side of them. After they settled in, footage showed Gutierrez approaching them and he "sounded very excited," Mendez told the court. Capt. Bryant filed a lawsuit against the county and other defendants over allegations that LA sheriff's deputies and Los Angeles County Fire Department captains took and shared photos of the helicopter crash site in late January 2020. 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. WebBrowse 2,213 kobe bryant crash photos and images available, or start a new search to explore more photos and images. Two key witnesses testified in Vanessa Bryant's trial against LA County on Thursday. 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. "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. In his March 2020 interview with NBC News, Villanueva said he was focused on containing the potential distribution of the photos. For Mendez, that interaction was enough to file a citizen complaint. Former Los Angeles Fire Department captain and safety officer Brian Jordan was present at the scene of the fatal incident and is one of the first responders accused of taking closely cropped photographs of body parts in the wreckage. Kobe Bryant crash photos During San Francisco Pride in June, Melody Sage, who is queer, and Rosco Kickingstone, a transgender man, tied the knot. Gutierrez told the court. The lawsuit says that by sharing the photos, those involved including the deputy at the bar and firefighters weeks later at an awards banquet violated the victims families constitutional rights to control images of their loved ones remains. Our experts predict every series, 2023 NBA playoffs: Second-round series, Finals, MVP odds, 'He looks better than ever': Why the Orlando bubble was 'just the beginning' for Jamal Murray, Memphis wasn't 'fine in the West' -- getting there hinges on massive culture questions, 'Help the bear': LeBron James trolls Dillon Brooks, Memphis Grizzlies, Why the Lakers' real test begins now, after dispatching the No. A fire department probe found that two firefighters had taken crash site photos that "served no business necessity," Vanessa Bryants lawyers said in a court filing. Villanueva told NBC News in March 2020 the behavior was "inexcusable," "inappropriate" and "unconscionable," and said the deputies were immediately ordered to delete the images. IE 11 is not supported. Vanessa Bryant is suing Los Angeles County, saying that her privacy was invaded when sheriffs deputies and firefighters privately shared photos of the fatal scene. Chris Chester, whose wife, Sarah, and daughter Payton died in the crash, is also suing county workers on the same claims and will have a consolidated nine-day trial alongside Bryant's against the county. His testimony about the nature of the photos forced Vanessa Bryant to leave the courtroom early. There is no legal basis for suing defendants for hypothetical harm, the paperwork said. Kobe Bryant In September 2020, Vanessa Bryantsued 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 that first responders took and shared photos of the January 2020 crash site. Jordan went on to say that he could not recall details about the day due to memory issues. "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. 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. The employment status of all three was not immediately clear Wednesday. The deputies were not named as defendants in the suit. LOS ANGELES COUNTY, Calif. Two Los Angeles County firefighters who allegedly took souvenir photos of victims remains at the scene of Kobe Bryants horrific helicopter crash last year are facing termination, a new court filing claims. "He (Cruz) had the public's trust riding on his shoulders," Mendez told the court. Ron Haralson, a spokesperson for the county fire department, declined to comment, citing the lawsuit. His lawsuit says he received photos from people working at the crash site "as is common practice on all major incidents.". Vanessas lawyers revealed the firefighters alleged misconduct in a Monday motion asking for more time to follow new leads and collect more devices for forensic examination. The National Transportation Safety Board said pilot Ara Zobayan ignored his training when he intentionally flew into blinding clouds at high speed, allowing himself to become susceptible to spatial disorientation.