Vanessa Bryant, widow of NBA legend Kobe Bryant, took the witness stand Friday in her federal lawsuit against Los Angeles County over photos taken and shared by first responders of the scene of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed her husband, their teenage daughter and seven others.
Along with Chris Chester, whose wife and daughter also died in the crash, Vanessa Bryant filed a federal civil lawsuit alleging Los Angeles County invaded their privacy and inflicted emotional distress by not properly containing the spread of the photos which, according to witness testimony, show not just helicopter wreckage but the mangled bodies of the victims.
The trial has so far seen testimony by several law enforcement personnel, including a deputy who testified he showed graphic images from the scene while at a bar, another deputy who said he shared photos while playing a video game, a deputy who sent dozens of photos to someone he didn’t know, and a fire official who showed the images to other personnel during an awards ceremony cocktail hour.
Chester testified on Thursday, saying he lives in fear that the graphic photos taken of his loved ones’ bodies may resurface one day.
Chester took the stand after several days of testimony from the law enforcement officials — some of whom offered apologies, detailed the graphic nature of the photos, and explained why they were taken and shared and why orders were given to delete them.
Vanessa Bryant has been in the courtroom listening to the testimony of every witness except the coroner. She walked out of the courtroom abruptly as a bartender testified about seeing photos.
As the final witness for the prosecution, Bryant’s testimony is expected to last around three hours.
If time allows, the defense is expected to call LA County Sheriff Alex Villanueva as its first witness, to be followed by LA County Fire Chief Anthony Marrone.
Kobe Bryant, 41, and Gianna Bryant, 13, were among nine people killed in the January 26, 2020, helicopter crash on a hillside in Calabasas, California.
They were flying to a girls basketball game at Bryant’s Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks when the helicopter went down, leaving no survivors.
For all the latest Sports News Click Here
