The tragic death of Koba Bryant revealed how deep the affection was for him among his fans and others from rival teams.
It also revealed a terrible side of human behavior when the first responders on the scene of the crash took pictures of the dead victims at the site.
Following reports that Sheriff’s deputies had snapped pictures at the scene of the crash, Kobe Bryant’s widow Vanessa Bryant sued the LA County sheriff for “negligence” and “invasion of privacy” as well as for emotional distress, PetaPixel reports.
The lawsuit reads in part, “Mrs. Bryant feels ill at the thought of strangers gawking at images of her deceased husband and child and she lives in fear that she or her children will one day confront horrific images of their loved ones online.”
Not only did taking photos of the victims elicit outrage, but it also prompted one California assemblymember to write a law to make sure it never happens again.
Author of the bill, Mark A. Gipson, California Assemblymember, said of the law’s purpose: “Like many others, I was mortified after I’d heard that first responders captured and shared unauthorized photos from the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe and Gianna Bryant, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, Alyssa Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, John Altobelli, Christina Mauser, and Ara Zobayan. The actions of the first responders involved were unacceptable, and they highlighted a problem that demands a strong remedy.”
The bill was signed by California Governor Gavin Newsom and is set to become law in 2021.
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