Kobe Bryant’s widow, Kobe Bryant, wept again in court Friday when she learned how photographs of her husband’s and daughter’s bodies had been shared at an awards gala.
After discovering that these images had been circulated, Vanessa Bryant (40) is now suing both the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and the Los Angeles Fire Department for invasion of privacy.
Gianna’s basketball-star husband and her 13-year old daughter were killed in a helicopter accident in Calabasas in January 2020.
Luella Weireter was the wife of firefighter and explained on Friday that she filed an official complain after viewing the images shared.
Keri Altobelli, Weireter’s cousin, was killed in the crash. She also lost her husband John, who is a baseball coach and Alyssa, who was a friend of Gianna.
Weireter is a former EMT and said she went to the gala with her husband in February 2020.
She claimed she was surprised to see Tony Imbrenda’s photos of the corpses. Other firefighters gathered around Imbrenda in an attempt to view the images. Weireter called it a “party trick”.
Vanessa Bryant, age 40, arrives at Los Angeles Courthouse to file her complaint against the sheriff’s Office and firefighter
Bryant was overcome with emotion Friday after hearing how photographs of dead bodies were shared during a gala
Tony Imbrenda is a LA County firefighter who was accused of posting photos of Gianna Bryant and Kobe’s bodies during a gala in February 2020.
Luella Weireter is pictured on Friday with Cody, who is a firefighter. She testified that she was disgusted that others firefighters were taking photos of Gianna or Kobe’s bodies.
Bryant brought legal action against LA County Sheriffs and Fire Departments following the discovery that they had shared photographs of her deceased husband and child’s bodies. On Friday, she will be seen at the court
Bryant’s case was opened Wednesday and will continue for at least two more weeks. You can see her on Friday
Weireter stated that one of the firefighters said to her: “I’m so shocked I saw Kobe’s body burned and I’m now about to eat.”
Bryant, upon hearing the tale, dropped her head and began to rock back and forth while crying.
Bryant fled from court in tears the day before when a bartender demanded that he describe photographs of deceased bodies.
Bryant felt emotional after Victor Gutierrez asked him, a bartender if they had ever seen her body.
On Thursday, Vanessa Bryant looks somber outside of the courthouse after an emotional day in which she was shown graphic photos of her dead daughter.
Vanessa Bryant leaves court for the day on Thursday, during the trial against Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Office and fire department for invasion of privacy
Bryant was overcome with emotion after hearing about the testimony that showed photos of her husband, and their bodies were shared.
Victor Gutierrez (a bartender) told of how two days after the crash, a sheriff’s deputy showed him photos.
Gutierrez described what he had seen in photos taken by a Los Angeles County Sheriff’s deputy.
Bryant’s lawyer Luis Li played in the opening statements of Wednesday’s jury hearings CCTV footage showing an off-duty deputy sheriff drinking in a bar. Gutierrez then saw the photographs and shook his head.
The lawyer showed the image of them laughing later.
Li spoke of firefighters gazing at their phone pictures two weeks after the awards banquet and presented to the jury an animated graph documenting the spread of these photos to close 30 people.
On hearing Gutierrez being questioned, Bryant cried, stood up and her attorney asked the presiding judge permission for Bryant to leave the court room.
The judge stated, “You don’t need to ask me permission,”
Bryant didn’t return to Gutierrez for the remaining testimony.
Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna. In a Calabasas helicopter accident, the pair died.
The jurors were shown surveillance clips from the bar on January 28th, 2020 – two days after the crash.
Gutierrez described wallowing at the images and finally admitted to telling five sets about the conditions of victims’ bodies.
Ralph Mendez is the only person to whom he recounted his memories of the photos. Mendez later filed a complaint against Gutierrez, the deputy who first showed Gutierrez those photos.
Mendez said, “I was in disbelief.
“Being in his position, I feel he holds the trust of the public on his shoulders. When he presented photos of victims, he betrayed that trust.
Earlier on Thursday, the court heard from Los Angeles Lakers general manager Rob Pelinka, as well as one of the first responders and a coroner.
On Wednesday, in opening statements, the court heard that a ‘culture of callousness’ saw emergency service workers take and share pictures of Bryant’s body.
Li stated that mobile phone photos taken on the spot by fire captains and deputy firefighters were “visual gossip” and viewed only for a joke.
Vanessa Bryant (the widow of Kobe Bryant) left a Los Angeles federal courthouse on Wednesday
Li stated that they were played by video game-playing deputies.
“They were often shared with people without any reason.”
County lawyer defends photos of emergency personnel trying to save lives in chaotic crash scenes west of LA.
Jennifer Mira Hashmall emphasized that “site photography is crucial.”
Bryant wept often during the presentation of her lawyer.
In fact, her tears were still running from her eyes just minutes later during a lunch break.
Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant are seen at the Oscars Los Angeles 2018.
Li stated to jurors that her suffering was not over, even though she learned about the photos’ circulation from Los Angeles Times a month following the crash.
“January 26, 2020 was Vanessa Bryant’s worst day.” Li claimed that it was made worse by the county.
“They put salt into an open wound, and then rubbed it in.”
Li stated that Bryant will be haunted forever by the fact that Bryant’s photo wasn’t properly investigated by the county.
Hashmall stated that jurors were told by Hashmall during the opening statements of defense, that because the images haven’t been seen in two years, it was proof leaders from the sheriff and fire departments did their jobs.
“They are not available online. They don’t appear in the media. She said that they have never been seen by plaintiffs.
“That’s not an accident. It is an indication of their diligence.
Calabasas Firefighters respond to the crash site of the helicopter that killed Kobe Bryant, a former NBA basketball player.
Sheriff Alex Villanueva brought all involved together with the department officials and she ordered them to erase the images, not conduct an extended official investigation that would have been detrimental to the families.
‘He picked what he viewed as the only option — decisive action,’ Hashmall said.
“He believed that every moment mattered to him.”
Hashmall informed the jury Li was allowed to display the video of the barman because they got it from the sheriff’s office the day after receiving a complaint by another punter.
The deputy had emotional difficulties due to the aftermath of the crash scene. He confided in the barman, who was an old friend.
She said, “He took out his phone and it was wrong.”
“In a lapse or moment of weakness, they showed him those photos and he regretted it all his life.”
Jurors were asked by the defense lawyer to forget about the sorrow of plaintiffs and instead concentrate on the case before them.
She stated, “There is no doubt that these families have suffered.”
Rob Pelinka, Los Angeles Lakers general manger, leaves a federal Courthouse following Vanessa Bryant’s invasion-of-privacy trial.
‘It’s unspeakable. However, this isn’t about the damage caused by the crash. This is about the photos.
Chris Chester is also a plaintiff of the suit, which claims unspecified millions.
Already, $2.5 Million was paid by the county to resolve a case similar to that brought forward by two families who lost their loved ones in the January 26, 2020 crash.
Bryant, Chester and others declined to settle.
Expect the trial to last around two weeks. Vanessa Bryant will be one of the witnesses.
Gianna, Kobe Bryant and other players were traveling to a girls basketball tournament in the morning fog when their chartered helicopter collided with it.
Later, safety officials blamed the pilot for their error.