The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department told AFP on Friday that an investigation was underway after allegations that agents shared photos of the fatal helicopter crash scene with famous basketball player Kobe Bryant and eight others people. "We are considering the matter and have no further comments to make at this time," said a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
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Photos of human remains
The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that police had shared images of human remains in the days following the January 26 accident on Calabasas Hill, northwest of Los Angeles. The number of people who saw the photos is unclear, the daily said, adding that it was uncertain whether they were taken by the police themselves or received from others people.
The revelations surfaced after a lawsuit, said TMZ, which first announced Bryant's death. According to the site, an intern at the deputy sheriff, present at the scene, took photos with a smartphone. After which, he was seen in a bar showing the images to another customer. The owner of the establishment would then have filed a complaint.
Bryant, 41, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna and seven others died in the helicopter crash. A moving public farewell was organized Monday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, in the presence of their family, a crowd of stars and some 20,000 anonymous.