Former LACFD Member Claims He Was Ordered to Take Kobe Bryant Crash Photos

A former member of the Los Angeles County Fire Department has claimed he was ordered to take photos of the deadly Kobe Bryant helicopter crash.

Kobe Bryant’s widow, Vanessa, has been in a heated lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department for invasion of privacy after eight deputies took photos of the remains belonging to Kobe Bryant and his daughter, Gianna, before sharing them with families, friends, co-workers, and strangers.

In his testimony on Monday, ex-LACFD captain Brian Jordan said that he remembers being told to photograph the bodies while having little recollection of his day at the crash site.

“I followed many instructions that day but was told ‘take pictures, take pictures, take pictures,'” Jordan said. Jordan retired from the department in 2021 due to the distress brought about by the lawsuit and the Kobe Bryant crash in general. During his testimony, he struggled with questions and had to leave the courtroom several times. At one point, he responded to a question about photographing specific body parts.”Thank you, now I see intestines in my head,” Jodan testified. Jordan reportedly became so distressed that he turned to the judge and said, “I don’t want to hear this drama.”A Chief with the LACFD vehemently “denies instructing Jordan to capture images from the scene.” Per TMZ:

Raul Versales, a deputy with the LA Sheriff’s Department, testified that he never made it to the crash site … adding that he received approximately 30 photos from Deputy Doug Johnson. As we previously reported, Johnson said during the trial he had no regrets about taking photos of the remains, claiming higher-ups with LACFD ordered him to do so.

Versales told the courtroom that none of the photos were close-up body parts … but did say there’s a possibility arm could be visible in the distance. An investigation by the Sheriff’s Dept. determined that there were violations of the use of communication protocols in Versales’ cell phone.

Still, he did not receive discipline, nor was he suspended for his actions.

Vanessa Bryant reportedly left the courtroom in tears last week after a bartender testified that officers shared gruesome photos of the crash with him.