L.A. County Sheriff’s Dept. Says 8 Deputies Shared Kobe Bryant Crash Pics

The L.A. County Sheriff’s Department says that eight deputies have been found sharing graphic photos of the helicopter crash that took the lives of NBA star Kobe Bryant, his daughter, and seven others.

L.A. County Sheriff spokesman Alex Villanueva insisted that the results of the investigation was a “punch to the gut” for the department, and he is “shocked” by the scandal, TMZ reported.

Last week it was discovered that several L.A. sheriffs were seen in a bar sharing gruesome photos of the victims of the January 26 crash. Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, issued a statement saying she was “devastated” over the actions of the deputies.

Villanueva also said he could understand the “sense of betrayal” the families of the victims might feel over the incident.

The department spokesman noted that the deputies did not break any laws with the photos, but they did break department policy and propriety. Villanueva added that he has apologized to the families of the victims.

However, some are claiming that the L.A. Sheriff’s department kept a lid on the accusations against the photo-sharing deputies for up to five weeks.

A report by the Los Angeles Times claims that the sheriff’s department dragged its feet on the investigation into its officers and tarried so long that several other officers gained access to the photos.

Villanueva said he had identified the officers and ordered them to delete the photos, but there is no word yet as to what punishments the officers might face.

Follow Warner Todd Huston on Facebook at: facebook.com/Warner.Todd.Huston.