Los Angeles County has been ordered to pay Vanessa Bryant $16 million after sheriff’s deputies photographed Kobe and Gianna Bryant’s bodies after a helicopter crash on January 26, 2020. According to the court, the sheriff’s deputies and fire officials who responded to the scene and took and disseminated the photos violated the civil rights of the victims. Additionally, Chris Chester, the father and husband to two victims and Bryant’s co-plaintiff was awarded $15 million by the jury.
Bryant took to Instagram to share a selfie of her with Kobe and daughter Gianna declaring justice had been done with the ruling.
People who have followed the case are celebrating the decision but are still looking for more severe punishments against those who took the photos.
And more still are showering the Bryant family with love and support as they face being retraumatized as a result of the years-long battle to seek justice.
The trial lasted ten days, with dozens of witnesses taking the stand to testify about the details of the case. First responders admitted under oath to taking the photographs and sharing them with friends, family, and colleagues. A bartender also testified to being shown the photos by one of the sheriff’s deputies.
This ruling is a step forward for justice for Vanessa Bryant, her family, Chris Chester, his family, and the others that lost their lives in 2020. It’s also a warning to those who think the first responders’ behavior was acceptable. It wasn’t.