deputy who clicked tens of close-up photos of human remains from the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and his daughter On Friday, Gianna revealed he has no regrets about it and said he didn’t know the NBA legend was one of victims.
Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff Doug Johnson took rack in third day of Federal lawsuit by Vanessa Bryant against county and said that he took 25 photos in California crash website and sent them to two firefighters who he thought were high. up in team.
Johnson said about the third of his paintings were close-up shots of body parts and told the court that they were taken by order of Department of Raul Versales, who was on the team post at the bottom of The hill of Calabasas that the helicopter crashed into.
Lawyers for bryant, who claim that workers took “pictures as souvenirs,” objected to Johnson’s statement playing record of Versailles says: “Everything of us on the post command, including me, we didn’t ask for photos.”
MP’s testimony also contradicted sworn statement of Malibu Search and Rescue Team Reserve Deputy David Katz, who told the court on Thursday that Johnson told him that he took 100 photos.
Johnson testified that he and another deputy were traveling on foot over rough terrain. of hillside and got to crash site around 11:30 on January 26, 2020, finding it scattered with torn body parts.
On the arrival he talked to two men who he thought they were officials with He testified about the Los Angeles County fire. Johnson told them that one of his assignments were to photograph of the whole scene.
When asked if he interpreted this as an instruction to take close-ups of body parts, Johnson replied, “Yes, sir.”
The MP showed that took shots of a black torn off hand and palm of a person, close-up of shin, foot of dark skin tone and torso found near the helicopter. the pictures were presumably of pensioner 41-year-old NBA star.
“I don’t remember seeing head”said Johnson. “I remember [it having] torso and pants.
Johnson said he also took close-up Pictures of body in ravine. One of he was a child with long black hair and black skin – presumably Gianna, 13 years old.
He sent the eerie photos to Captain Brian Johnson and another uniformed firefighter he assumed. captain, according to indications. The man remained unidentified, he told the court.
AT one dot, one of Vanessa’s lawyers, Eric Tuttle, asked: occur you that close-ups are not appropriate of human remains on your personal cell phone?
Johnson replied “No sir” and repeated the answer when asked if he regretted taking photos or if he did something differently.
During cross-examination by Jennifer Mira Hashmoll, defense attorney representing Los Angeles County, county and county sheriffs fire department, asked Johnson if he knew who was involved in in crash at that time.
“When you took photos, you know it was kobe bryant who was in in air?
“No, ma’am,” the deputy replied.
Johnson said there was an internal investigation and he was questioned. twice but said he was never disciplined in in connection with the complaint filed by Deputy Katz.
Lawyers for Vanessa claimed that county officials inappropriately shared private photos, which caused her “great emotional stress and exacerbated the trauma of lose Kobe and Gianna.”
The widow burst into tears on Thursday when the bartender revealed that the deputy showed him the photos of Kobe remains while he was behind stick.
Earlier on Friday, a retired police officer testified that the officers in Los Angeles has culture of maintaining “ghost books” with graphic arts photos of dead celebrities and other famous victims for their own entertainment.
Kobe, Gianna and seven others – Christina Mauser; Payton and Sarah Chester; John, Keri and Alyssa Altobelli; and pilot Ara Zobayan – killed in a collision with Bryant’s helicopter with hillside amid thick fog.
AT group was on them way in youth basketball game in Thousand oaks.
