Police probe report of Kobe Bryant crash site photos sharing

FILE – In this Monday, Jan. 27, 2020 file photo, investigators, top, work the scene of a helicopter crash that killed former NBA basketball player Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter, Gianna, and seven others as Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputies patrol in an all-terrain vehicle on a hillside in Calabasas, Calif. Authorities are investigating whether deputies shared graphic photos of the crash scene, according to a Los Angeles Times report quoting an unnamed source. Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Deputy Maria Lucero told The Associated Press on Friday, Feb. 28 that “the matter is being looked into.” (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill, File)

The Los Angeles sheriff’s department said Friday it is investigating allegations officers shared graphic photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash site in the aftermath of the accident.

“The matter is being looked into and we have no further comment at this time,” a spokeswoman for the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department told AFP.

The Los Angeles Times reported on Thursday that deputies shared images showing human remains in the days after last month’s accident, which claimed the life of retired NBA icon Bryant and eight other people.

It was not clear how many people saw the photos or whether deputies had taken the images at the scene or received them from someone else, the Times reported.

The TMZ.com entertainment news website, which broke the news of the Bryant accident, reported on Friday that the revelations first surfaced following a complaint.

TMZ, quoting unidentified law enforcement sources, said a trainee sheriff’s deputy at the crash site had taken photos on a smart phone.

He was subsequently overheard by a bartender showing the images to a customer in a bar. The bartender then lodged a complaint, TMZ reported.

Bryant, 41, died alongside teenage daughter Gianna, when the helicopter they were travelling in crashed into a hillside in Calabasas in thick fog on January 26.

An emotional public memorial to the five-time NBA champion was held at the Staples Center on Monday.