Vanessa Bryant is ‘devastated’ by deputies allegedly sharing Kobe crash photos

Vanessa Bryant‘s lawyer said she is “absolutely devastated” by allegations that Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies shared photos of the helicopter crash that claimed the lives of her husband, Kobe Bryant, her daughter, Gianna Bryant, and seven others in January.

In a statement posted to Bryant’s Instagram page on Sunday, attorney Gary C. Robb called on the sheriff’s office to be investigated by the department’s internal affairs bureau.

READ MORE: Los Angeles sheriff’s deputies allegedly shared graphic photos from Kobe Bryant helicopter crash

What’s more, the family attorney has demanded “the harshest possible discipline” for those responsible for sharing the alleged gruesome photos.

 

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KANSAS CITY, Mo.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Statement From Gary C. Robb, Legal Counsel on Behalf of His Client, Vanessa Bryant: Our client, Vanessa Bryant, is absolutely devastated by allegations that deputies from the Lost Hills Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department publicly disseminated photos from the helicopter crash site. Mrs. Bryant personally went to the Sheriff’s office on January 26th and requested that the area be designated a no-fly zone and protected from photographers. This was of critical importance to her as she desired to protect the dignity of all the victims, and their families. At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families’ privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests. First responders should be trustworthy. It is inexcusable and deplorable that some deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff’s substation, other surrounding substations and LACOFD would allegedly breach their duty. This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families. We are demanding that those responsible for these alleged actions face the harshest possible discipline, and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated. We are requesting an Internal Affairs investigation of these alleged incidents. Mrs. Bryant is grateful to the individual who filed an online complaint exposing these acts of injustice, and for the choice to protect human dignity. We ask that anyone else who has information as to the facts underlying these alleged grievous and shameful incidents contact our office at 816–474-8080 or email via www.robbrobb.com

A post shared by Vanessa Bryant 🦋 (@vanessabryant) on Mar 1, 2020 at 8:22am PST

Vanessa Bryant, Robb said, personally went to the sheriff’s office after the Jan. 26 tragedy to request a “no-fly zone” near the crash site. She also wanted the area guarded against photographers.

“At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families’ privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests,” Robb said.

The attorney also demanded that the deputies be identified “to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated.”

READ MORE: Kobe Bryant’s sister Sharia Washington gets a tribute tattoo in honor of him and Gianna

“First responders should be trustworthy,” said Robb, who called the allegations “inexcusable and deplorable” and a “breach of duty.”

On Friday, the Times reported that sheriff’s deputies who responded to the scene of the crash took pictures of the victims’ remains, citing two public safety sources.

Such allegations are normally followed up with a formal inquiry or internal affairs investigation, however, the sheriff’s department is accused of quietly asking the deputies involved to admit wrongdoing and delete the photos from their phones to avoid any discipline.

Capt. Jorge Valdez told The Times that his office is investigating the matter and contacted family members of the victims regarding the allegation – not because of the actual allegation but because the newspaper had inquired about it.

It is unclear how many deputies and city officials may have seen or shared the photos.

TMZ reported that the sheriff’s department first learned of this incident by a bartender after a sheriff’s deputy trainee reportedly went to a bar and “tried to impress a girl by showing her the photos,” according to a source.

The bartender allegedly heard the conversation and filed a complaint online with the police.

Robb said Vanessa Bryant is “grateful” to the individual for filing the online complaint and “exposing these acts of injustice, and for the choice to protect human dignity.”

The post Vanessa Bryant is ‘devastated’ by deputies allegedly sharing Kobe crash photos appeared first on TheGrio.

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Mississippi State Penitentiary Being Sued by Inmates With the Help of Jay-Z and Yo Gotti

More than 150 prison inmates are suing Mississippi officials over “barbaric” prison conditions and “deprivation” of health care at Mississippi State Penitentiary, according to CBS News.

Since December 29, 2019, a total of 19 people have died in state facilities. This figure includes suicides, homicides, and cases that were classified as “natural deaths.” Lawyers who are representing the inmates inside the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman filed a second lawsuit in federal court early Wednesday on behalf of 152 inmates who are alleging that they have been denied adequate medical and mental health care and were being fed contaminated food as retaliation against the inmates for speaking with their attorneys. 

The filed complaint states, “The conditions of confinement at Parchman are so barbaric, the deprivation of health and mental health care so extreme, and the defects in security so severe, that the people confined at Parchman live a miserable and hopeless existence confronted daily by imminent risk of substantial harm in violation of their rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution.”

The pending lawsuit also states that the mental health care is virtually “non-existent” at Parchman. One plaintiff who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder before arriving at the prison has made many unsuccessful attempts to see a psychiatrist. Another prisoner has attempted suicide multiple times but has received little to no mental health treatment.

The proposed class-action lawsuit is being funded by rapper Yo Gotti and Jay-Z‘s Team Roc and was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Mississippi. Eight defendants are named in the suit, including the interim director of of the state’s Department of Corrections, the department’s top medical official, and several officials at the prison, including the superintendent and certain wardens.

The attorneys claim the prison suffers chronic staffing shortages that leave inmates in “constant peril” and there is usually only one guard for every 160 inmates. There are 800 job vacancies in the three state facilities that remain unfilled, according to a department news release from January. “As a result, prisoner-on-prisoner violence is rampant, and, at times, is facilitated by corrupt guards seeking to curry favor with inmates,” the filing read. 

The Justice Department has already opened a civil rights investigation into the conditions of the state’s prisons to determine whether prison officials are doing enough to protect inmates as well as review the quality of mental health care and suicide prevention. 

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Mississippi State Penitentiary Being Sued by Inmates With the Help of Jay-Z and Yo Gotti

More than 150 prison inmates are suing Mississippi officials over “barbaric” prison conditions and “deprivation” of health care at Mississippi State Penitentiary, according to CBS News.

Since December 29, 2019, a total of 19 people have died in state facilities. This figure includes suicides, homicides, and cases that were classified as “natural deaths.” Lawyers who are representing the inmates inside the Mississippi State Penitentiary at Parchman filed a second lawsuit in federal court early Wednesday on behalf of 152 inmates who are alleging that they have been denied adequate medical and mental health care and were being fed contaminated food as retaliation against the inmates for speaking with their attorneys. 

The filed complaint states, “The conditions of confinement at Parchman are so barbaric, the deprivation of health and mental health care so extreme, and the defects in security so severe, that the people confined at Parchman live a miserable and hopeless existence confronted daily by imminent risk of substantial harm in violation of their rights afforded by the U.S. Constitution.”

The pending lawsuit also states that the mental health care is virtually “non-existent” at Parchman. One plaintiff who was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder before arriving at the prison has made many unsuccessful attempts to see a psychiatrist. Another prisoner has attempted suicide multiple times but has received little to no mental health treatment.

The proposed class-action lawsuit is being funded by rapper Yo Gotti and Jay-Z‘s Team Roc and was filed in the U.S. District Court in the Northern District of Mississippi. Eight defendants are named in the suit, including the interim director of of the state’s Department of Corrections, the department’s top medical official, and several officials at the prison, including the superintendent and certain wardens.

The attorneys claim the prison suffers chronic staffing shortages that leave inmates in “constant peril” and there is usually only one guard for every 160 inmates. There are 800 job vacancies in the three state facilities that remain unfilled, according to a department news release from January. “As a result, prisoner-on-prisoner violence is rampant, and, at times, is facilitated by corrupt guards seeking to curry favor with inmates,” the filing read. 

The Justice Department has already opened a civil rights investigation into the conditions of the state’s prisons to determine whether prison officials are doing enough to protect inmates as well as review the quality of mental health care and suicide prevention. 

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