Warning: this story contains descriptions that may confuse some readers.
LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles County Deputy Sheriff. who took close-up photos of dead bodies from a helicopter crash testified to the murder of NBA legend Kobe Bryant in The federal court here on Friday that he “did nothing wrong” and just followed the order to take pictures of scene of accident that day.
Deputy Douglas Johnson said he has another deputy sheriff under his command. post, Raul Versales, told him to do it. He said that took about 25 photos including those of curvature of the body and “closed up of lower leg and foot with black skin tone.
But truthfulness of both of these claims have been questioned in court on Friday at the interrogation of lawyers for Vanessa Bryant, widow of Kobe, and Chris Chester financial adviser who lost his wife and daughter in same crash.
“Did you know that Deputy Versales denied asking you to take photos on January 26, 2020?” asked Eric Tuttle, the lawyer. for Bryant.
“I don’t,” Johnson said.
Tuttle then presented “Exhibit 111-A”, an audio interview. with Versailles previously held by investigators for sheriff’s internal affairs affairs bureau.
“All of us on the post command, we, including myself, did not request photos,” Versales said. on played record in court.
It was Day 3 of Civil trial of Vanessa Bryant against Los Angeles County – And Another Hard Day for bryant, who left courtroom early again for in second straight day. Bryant and Chester sued the county in 2020 blaming the county sheriff and fire department staff of take and share photos of their deceased loved ones crash scene despite the lack of legal business reason for It.
The case is being tried by a jury of five men and four women after one juror male expelled out after 2nd day for family- Associated causes. On Friday, they heard testimony from three witnesses, including Johnson, Bryant’s deputy. team believes began to spread of horrible photos among the sheriff personnel after taking them for dubious reasons.
Jurors have a lot to digest: Did Johnson violate privacy rights? of victims’ families by taking these photos for No good reasonas suggested by Bryant’s lawyer? Or was Johnson unclear about who told him to take photos as well as just trying to do his job and document a scene in difficult circumstances?
Johnson’s testimony
Johnson was on duty morning of in crash when he answered the radio call about the helicopter crash in Calabasas. He drove to the scene and walked for about an hour through difficult hilly terrain to get to the scene. crash website. What happened next is key to the point.
According to him, he took about 25 photos one-third of who showed a man remains.
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But another witness testified in court the day before on Thursday that he heard another story. That witness was Reserve MP David Katz, leader of search and rescue team. Katz walked up to crash scene too, and his boss told him not to take photos.
Then, when Katz arrived at the scene, with debris and body parts all over he saw there a deputy in uniform doing just what to take photos.
Name on this deputy’s badge was “Johnson”.
“I told him that my boss told me not to take photosKatz testified on Thursday.
Johnson replied that he already taken photos.
“Didn’t he tell you that he took over 100 photos? asked Jerome Jackson, the lawyer. for Chester.
“I guess that’s what he said,” Katz replied.
On Friday, Johnson denied taking so much photos. After Bryant’s lawyer confronted him in court on Versales’ controversial statement, Johnson appealed to issue again under more friendly interrogation by the county lead counsel Mira Hashmall.
This time he said, “I believe it was Versales’ deputy. who I told on my cell phone.” added what he also received a request from someone over radio from command post document the scene with photos, but it may not have been Versailles.
Under questioning by Tuttle, Bryant’s lawyer, Johnson confirmed he never booked photos into evidence and deleted it from his personal iPhone when he returned home and took a shower. He also confirmed he deleted his text message thread with Versailles.
Before that, he said he just sent photos to Versailles and unidentified fire department curator.
AT photos spread from there among the sheriff’s personnel, eventually reaching the telephone of deputy trainee Joey Cruz, who showed them off bartender in Norwalk, California, two days after crash.
Asked if he knew about the incident with Cruz, Johnson said, “I heard about it,” but said he still wouldn’t do anything differently.
Hashmoll said the county first The defendants did their job and said that photos have never been “publicly distributed” outside of county personnel.
Another witness verified this claim on Friday.
fireman’s wife
Her name is Louella Weireter, wife of fireman. weireter also was a cousin of Keri Altobelli, who was among nine who died in in a crash including Bryant daughter Gianna and Altobelli husband as well as daughter.
Weireter attended the Golden Mike Awards. show In a hotel in February 2020 when group of people gathered around fire captain Tony Imbrenda during a cocktail. imbrenda showed group photos on his phone like it is party trickshe testified.
According to her testimony, another fire department employee then walked away from the group saying “I can’t believe I just looked at the burnt Kobi-out body and now I’m going to eat.”
Weireter gave her report in court, fighting back tears. In response, Bryant leaned forward in her chair in court covering her face as well as eyes with her hands. She generally avoided the courtroom during her testimony. of Johnson, day last witness.
Weireter was daytime first witness and testified that she reported what she had heard fire battalion commander in March.
“Something had to be done to make it show photos off”Weireter said.
During cross-examination in the county, she said she had not seen photos and not know if kobe bryant was actually pictured in them.
Police Expert
The wireter was accompanied to the booth by an expert on police policy and procedures. His name is Adam Bercovici, member of Los Angeles Police Department for almost 30 years before retiring about 10 years ago. He testified on on behalf of of plaintiffs and said he billed them for $28,000. for his testimony.
He spent more than three hours on stand mostly critical of the sheriff’s department, including how he essentially ordered the removal of in photos in question soon after receiving a complaint about an incident at a bar.
When questioned by Bryant’s lawyer Louis, Lee Bercovici testified that he did not believe there was a legitimate target. for MPs take and share in photos. He also testified that the department did not have sufficient policy in place to prevent misuse of such a photo, although there was nothing unusual about it for law enforcement officers take and hold terribly photos from crime or accident scenes as “souvenirs”.
AT reason they do it, he said, was that “it was something special to share with their friends and item of curiosity”, i.e. “forbidden”.
The district addressed the issue in short filed before the court.
“There is no evidence that district employees have a ‘permanent and widespread’ practice of exchange ‘death images in LASD or LACFD,” the county said in a statement earlier this month. “This was first time when LASD or LACFD faced allegations of wrong exchange of photos and they took appropriate action. Every action was aimed at preventing harm, not causing it.”
The trial will resume on Monday morning and may stretch over two more weeks. U.S. District Judge John F. Walter told lawyers after last a witness testified on Friday that they “should step up in pace”.
Follow reporter Brent Schrottenbur @Schrotenburg. Email: bschrotenb@usatoday.com
