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Bryants attorneys have not responded to requests for comment about the lawsuit. In a courtroom on the seventh floor of the marbled federal courthouse in downtown Los Angeles, a high-stakes drama is playing out, pitting one of the countrys largest law enforcement agencies against the widow of one of the citys patron saints. 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. 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. Copyright 2023 NBCUniversal Media, LLC. For an optimal experience visit our site on another browser. Jordan said in his testimony that he took 25 to 30 images at the scene of the crash, but claimed that he had been ordered to do so by his superior, Fire Chief Anthony Marrone a claim previously, I followed many instructions that day but was told take pictures, take pictures, take pictures, he told the court, per. The union representing Los Angeles County firefighters did not respond to a request for comment. 2 Grizzlies, Celtics-76ers first look: What could decide the battle of East heavyweights, Pregame chats, language arts and 'a lot of fines': Inside NBA player-ref dynamics, Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Kobe Bryant and the others were killed Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter they were aboard crashed west of Los Angeles. 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. In his March 2020 interview with NBC News, Villanueva said he was focused on containing the potential distribution of the photos. "There was a Deputy at Baja California Bar and Grill who was at the Kobe Bryant crash site, showing photos of his decapitated body," Mendez wrote in the message, adding to the court that he felt a "sense of betrayal," after hearing what Gutierrez had relayed to him. The trial is expected to last at least another week, with 52 total witnesses slated to appear. The kitchen has cabinets from Reform and Calacatta Arabescato marble surfaces. Gavin Newsom last year signed a law that makes it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized photos of deceased people at the scene of an accident or crime. The deputies were not named as defendants in the suit. Last March, U.S. District Court Judge John F. Walter ruled against the county and allowed the deputies' names to be published. The Associated Press contributed to this report. All rights reserved. Eric Leonard reports for NBC4 News at 11 p.m. on April 15, 2021. After they settled in, footage showed Gutierrez approaching them and he "sounded very excited," Mendez told the court. 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. as well as other partner offers and accept our. Do Not Sell My Personal Information. When Cruz left, video footage showed Gutierrez going up to cooks, coworkers, and customers at tables at least five separate parties telling them what he saw. The Los Angeles County Fire Department planned to terminate the employment of two firefighters and suspend a third for allegedly taking graphic photos at the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and sharing them with their wives and girlfriends, according to court documents filed this week. 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. Imbrenda did not respond to a request for comment Wednesday. The third firefighter received an "intention to suspend" letter. Ron Haralson, a spokesperson for the county fire department, declined to comment, citing the lawsuit. And that's definitely what we do not want.. On January 26, 2020, a helicopter transporting Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, and the baseball coach John Altobelli and his family crashed near Malibu, California, as they were heading to a girls basketball game. Capt. For other inquiries, Contact Us. There is no legal basis for suing defendants for hypothetical harm, the paperwork said. 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. None of the three was identified by name, and their employment status was not clear. Gov. Firefighters at the scene of Kobe Bryants helicopter crash in Calabasas on Jan. 26, 2020. The third firefighter received an "intention to suspend" letter. I was disappointed, disgusted and angry.. LOS ANGELES -- Two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended after some first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others, court documents say. 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. 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. 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. 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. On August 24, 2022, a unanimous jury determined that Los Angeles County must pay Vanessa $16million over the photos. His lawsuit says he received photos from people working at the crash site "as is common practice on all major incidents.". The lawsuit alleges that after learning about the website complaint, Sheriff Alex Villanueva tried to cover up the behavior by asking the deputies to delete the photos from their cellphones in exchange for facing no disciplinary action. You can reach the team at CAtoday@nytimes.com. I do not remember being there. Well be sharing more in upcoming editions of the newsletter. Thanks for reading. 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. Anyone can read what you share. Inside the Trial Over Kobe Bryant Crash Site Photos, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/08/12/us/kobe-bryant-crash-photos-trial.html. A songwriter and his sister take on a Hollywood hills fixer-upper. Representatives from the union that represents firefighters did not immediately respond to The Associated Press' request for comment Wednesday. "The Sun", "Sun", "Sun Online" are registered trademarks or trade names of News Group Newspapers Limited. 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. I was there. sued the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department, took and shared photos of the January 2020 crash site. 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. Los Angeles sheriff: A former Los Angeles County assistant sheriff is suing Sheriff Alex Villanueva over a demotion, The Los Angeles Times reports. He returned home and drafted a complaint to the LASD in his driveway before he even entered his home because he "had to sleep well that night.". County officials have not denied that Cruz shared the photos at the bar, saying the young trainee's behavior was a "lapse." Rent hikes: Large rent increases are coming for many Los Angeles tenants despite state and local laws meant to stop landlords from passing on huge increases, The LAist reports. Shark attack: A California paddle boarder and his dog were thrown into the ocean when a shark bit the board, but both survived the encounter without injuries, The Associated Press reports. 679215 Registered office: 1 London Bridge Street, London, SE1 9GF. 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. Kobe Bryant and the others were killed Jan. 26, 2020, when the helicopter they were aboard crashed west of Los Angeles. Los Angeles County lawyers have claimed Vanessas lawsuit has no merit, arguing in an April 30 filing that it should be dismissed because the photos were never disseminated to the public. The couple climbed to the top of an extra-wide slide, where two witnesses signed their marriage license using the newlyweds backs as hard surfaces. as well as other partner offers and accept our. A coroner testified in Vanessa Bryant's suit against LA County over helicopter-crash photos of Kobe. 1 priority, was to make sure those photos no longer exist," Villanueva said. Email us at exclusive@the-sun.com or call 212 416 4552. A spokesman for the Los Angeles County Fire Department, Capt. Top editors give you the stories you want delivered right to your inbox each weekday. LOS ANGELES -- Two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended after some first responders took and shared graphic photos from the site of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his teenage daughter and seven others, court documents say. 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 This March through June will be especially spectacular, as the meadow bursts into wildflower bloom.. Mrs. Sign up for notifications from Insider! I was in disbelief, Mendez, a real estate investor from Cerritos, said from the witness stand. 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. 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, Bryants lawyers wrote in a complaint. They maintain the photos did not spread from outside the bar and were deleted shortly after. https://abc7.com/kobe-bryant-crash-photos-trial-testimony/12136260 What type of human being would laugh at photos of other human beings like that? he said. USA Todayreports the filings read: "Despite putting their mental condition front and center in this case, Plaintiffs refuse to submit to independent medical examinations (IMEs). Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information. Villanueva told NBC News inMarch 2020the behavior was "inexcusable," "inappropriate" and "unconscionable," and said the deputies were immediately ordered to delete the images. She also said the coroner's office never requested that either the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department or Los Angeles County Fire Department take photos of the remains. They were caught sharing graphic photos they had stored on their phones of the helicopter crash that killed Lakers legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others. The Sheriff's Department said Wednesday that "a full administrative investigation was conducted and appropriate administrative action was taken.'' ", 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. Attorneys representing L.A. County have asked the judge to dismiss Bryant's case, arguing that because the photos never made it into the public domain, Bryant hasn't suffered any actual harm and that no invasion of privacy took place. The jury also awarded $15million to Vanessa's co-plaintiff, Chris Chester, who lost his wife and daughter in the crash. 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. Seven other passengers were also killed in the fiery crash. 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. During San Francisco Pride in June, Melody Sage, who is queer, and Rosco Kickingstone, a transgender man, tied the knot. 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. The third firefighter was said to be a media relations officer sent to the scene to interact with the press, the court document said. Mendez previously told sheriffs investigators that the bartender, Victor Gutierrez, walked over to their table and shared a story: A bar regular who was a Los Angeles County sheriffs deputy had just shown Gutierrez graphic photos of victims from the crash site. The two firefighters -- one of whom was at the site solely to monitor safety procedures -- were sent "intention to discharge" letters last December.