LA Times: Cover-up Alleged Over Crash Victims, Sheriff’s Deputies Sharing Graphic Images Of Kobe Site, Dept Not Following Its Own Rules
Written by 991KBU on March 3, 2020
The Los Angeles Times has further details about what can only be described as shocking misconduct by sheriff’s deputies at the Malibu-Lost Hills sheriff’s station … and of a clumsy cover-up attempt by the sheriff himself.
And the sheriff is meeting with the public tonight in Calabasas – although his department is accidentally sending people to the wrong place.
Three days after basketball star Kobe Bryant … his daughter and seven other people were killed in a helicopter crash … a young Los Angeles County sheriff’s deputy was displaying gruesome photos of the bodies.
In a bar.
The Baja California Bar and Grill in Norwalk.
That’s bad enough.
But The L-A Times also reports that a citizens complaint about the misconduct triggered a five-week effort by leadership at Malibu-Lost Hills – and the Sheriff’s headquarters – to keep a lid on the matter.
The LA Times reports that sheriff Alex Villanueva ordered individual deputies to quietly delete the photos.
The LA Times quotes deputies within the department … and legal experts outside the department … as saying that could amount to destruction of evidence.
The sheriff has told NBC 4 News that he in fact personally ordered the photos deleted from personal cellphones carried by deputies.
The newspaper points out that deputies storing photos of a crime scene in their personal cameras is an apparent violation of sheriff’s department written policies.
And possibly .. a crime.
Some critics are calling for an outside investigation.
Meanwhile … the sheriff is holding a community forum this evening in Calabasas.
The sheriff’s office just put out a Nixle alert that says the meeting will be at the Malibu Lost Hills Sheriffs station.
That is wrong.
The meeting is actually at the Calabasas City Hall … which is several miles to the east … off the 101 Freeway at Parkway Calabasas.
The sheriff will be available from 6 to 8.
Malibu residents have been on social media complaining about case after case of recent sheriff’s department blundering.
Things like failing to find a missing psychotic woman … who eventually died in the crawlspace of her parents’ house.
Failing to handle a Civic Center home intruder properly.
And a perceived breakdown of traffic law enforcement on P C H and canyon roads.
And changing commanders at the Malibu Lost Hills station four times in a year and a half.
Again … the sheriff will be talking to the public from 6 to 8 tonight at the Calabasas City Hall … south of the 101 Freeway at Parkway Calabasas.
Link to LA Times story: https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2020-03-03/kobe-bryant-crash-photos-sheriffs-department-tried-to-keep-quiet
