May 14, 2021
Firefighters Who Snapped Pictures of Kobe Bryant’s Helicopter Crash Site May be Terminated
It’s been over a year since the helicopter crash that killed future NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter, Gianna, and seven other people, but the ramifications of others’ actions are still playing themselves out.
The Los Angeles County Fire Department intends to discipline several firefighters who were at the scene of the helicopter crash because, according to court documents, they took graphic photos at the scene and shared them with their wives and girlfriends according to ESPN.
Two of the firefighters may be terminated and another one will be suspended for their actions according to court documents.
The documents, filed Monday, were part of federal lawsuit filed by Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow, against Los Angeles County that cites invasion of privacy. Based on the findings from her attorney, the trial that was scheduled to start November 16, has been requested to start April 27, 2022, so the attorneys can review more material related to the suit.
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The Los Angeles County Fire Department conducted an investigation and have concluded that two firefighters took several photos of the dead bodies at the scene of the helicopter crash. The firefighters then sent the pictures to another firefighter, a media relations officer who had appeared at the scene. A month later, the third firefighter shared the images with other off-duty firefighters and their wives and girlfriends while attending an awards ceremony at a Hilton hotel
The two firefighters were sent “intention to discharge” letters late last year in December. The third firefighter received an “intention to suspend” letter.
According to CBS Sports, the lawsuit filed by Bryant accuses multiple Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputies of disseminating photos of the crash site. Earlier this year, Bryant won the right to release the names of the deputies. L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva has since criticized the deputies and ordered the photos to be deleted.