LA County Firefighters Could Be Fired For Sharing Bryant Pics

CALABASAS, CA — Two Los Angeles County firefighters could be fired and a third suspended over allegedly sharing photos of Kobe Bryant’s body after his fatal 2020 helicopter crash.

According to court documents filed last week, an LA County Fire Department investigation found that two unnamed firefighters took photos of the bodies in the helicopter that “served no business necessity” and “only served to appeal to baser instincts and desires for what amounted to visual gossip,” according to attorneys for Vanessa Bryant.

The suit alleges that firefighters sent photos to a third firefighter who served as a media relations officer, who subsequently shared the images with off-duty firefighters and their wives and girlfriends.

The two firefighters were sent “intention to discharge” letters in December, according to the suit. The third firefighter received an “intention to suspend” letter. The firefighters’ current employment status is unknown, according to a report by the Associated Press.

Capt. Ron Haralson, an LACFD spokesperson, declined to comment to the AP.

The suit also accuses four sheriff’s deputies from the Malibu-Lost Hills station of indiscriminately sharing photos from the wreck and bragging about them. Lost Hills Deputy Rafael Mejia is accused of storing multiple photos from the crash in his cell phone, and then sending them to “multiple individuals without any legitimate governmental purpose, including several members of the public.”

Mejia allegedly sent photos to Lost Hills Deputy Joey Cruz, who is accused of sharing the photos with Deputy Michael Russell, and bragging about them to fellow patrons at the Baja California Bar and Grill in Norwalk. Bar footage shows Cruz zooming in and out of the images while sharing them with the bartender, the suit alleges. Lost Hills Deputy Raul Versales is also accused of sending the photos to an LASD detective.

The suit accuses Mejia, Cruz, Versales, and Russell of deleting the photos of their phones once they learned that a complaint had been filed.

Sheriff Alex Villanueva condemned the deputies’ behavior, but is also accused of pressuring the deputies to delete the photos off their phones. The Sheriff’s Department said Wednesday that a “full administrative investigation was conducted and appropriate administrative action was taken,” but did not specify what kind of action was taken.

Gov. Gavin Newsom signed a bill last year making it a crime for first responders to take unauthorized photos of deceased victims at the scene of an incident or crime.

Los Angeles County attorneys have argued there is no basis for Vanessa Bryant’s lawsuit because the photos were not publicly distributed, but the suit claims that the photos were shared indiscriminately by members of the public.

See also:

Vanessa Bryant Lacks Basis To Sue Lost Hills Deputies: County | Calabasas, CA Patch

4 Lost Hills Deputies Accused Of Sharing Kobe Crash Photos | Calabasas, CA Patch

Kobe Bryant Inducted Into Hall Of Fame: 'He Is Basketball' | Calabasas, CA Patch