The past week has been a trying time for the family of the late Kobe Bryant.
Bryant’s widow Vanessa is currently in a legal battle against Los Angeles County. Vanessa Bryant is claiming that deputies took photos of the helicopter crash scene that claimed Kobe Bryant’s life for non-investigative purposes and shared them with firefighters.
A report has recently emerged that a Los Angeles County firefighter shared images of Kobe Bryant’s remains at an awards ceremony a month after he passed away.
“Photos taken at the scene of the fatal helicopter crash that killed NBA legend Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others were shared by a Los Angeles County firefighter during the cocktail hour at an awards ceremony a month after the crash, according to witness testimony,” wrote CNN.
“On Wednesday, the trial was launched for a federal civil lawsuit filed by Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, who claims that photos from the January 2020 crash were shared by county fire and sheriff’s department employees in settings irrelevant to the investigation, including at a bar.
“Former emergency medical technician and wife of a Los Angeles firefighter, Luella Weireter, testified in court on Friday that during the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California’s Golden Mike awards in February 2020, she saw LA County firefighter Tony Imbrenda share photos of Bryant’s remains and other images from the crash site with ceremony attendees.
“Many firefighters attended the media event, which was also honoring fire department public information officers for their work informing the public about wildfires.
“After a small group of people at her table convened to look at images on a cell phone, in what Weireter characterized as being like a party trick, she testified about seeing one firefighter break away from the group, saying, ‘I can’t believe I just looked at Kobe’s burnt up body, and now I’m about to eat.'”
The loss of Kobe Bryant certainly hit the sports world hard. What is likely making it more difficult for the bereaved is that gruesome photos of the NBA legend’s remains were possibly captured illegally and passed around.
Vanessa Bryant even reportedly teared up during the opening arguments of the civil trial related to the lawsuit she filed. She will need to muster up more courage in the coming days as she might have to relive some painful memories.
Kobe Bryant is one of the most beloved NBA players of all time. The Lakers icon had a wildly successful 20-year playing career. He helped the franchise win five NBA titles, including a three-peat from 2000 to 2002 and a two-peat around a decade after.
The 18-time All-Star is also considered one of the best, if not the best, Lakers player ever. He is the all-time leading scorer in franchise history, and his No. 8 and 24 jerseys were retired by the organization.
