Kobe Bryant death: LA officials accused of sharing graphic photos of bodies in helicopter crash

Sheriff's Department investigates reports a deputy had pictures on phone

The LA Sheriff’s Department is reportedly investigating allegations that graphic photos from the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter were shared among some of its deputies.

Sources told the Los Angeles Times that first responders had discussed the topic of sharing photos of the scene in the days after the crash. One, speaking on condition of anonymity, said he had seen such a photo on another official’s phone.

A sheriff’s department confirmed to the paper that the matter is being looked into. It is unclear how many people are being investigated.

If the reports are correct, the penalties for anyone involved could be severe; as a police procedure professional told the Times, sharing such photos without authorisation is “a cardinal sin in law enforcement”.

The head of the sheriff’s information bureau said that families had been contacted after the Times began investigating the allegations.

The 26 January crash, in which Bryant died along with eight others, occurred in poor conditions in Calabasas, north-west of Los Angeles. Bryant’s wife has since filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the company that owned the helicopter.