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A lawyer for the widow of Kobe Bryant told jurors that a “culture of callousness” led Los Angeles County deputies and firefighters to share photos of the remains of Kobe Bryant and other victims of the 2020 helicopter crash that killed the former Lakers’ guard, his 13-year-old daughter, and seven others.
Vanessa Bryant’s attorney Luis Li told jurors in his opening statement in U.S. District Court in her invasion-of-privacy trial against the county that the cell-phone photos shot at the crash scene by a deputy and a fire captain were “visual gossip” viewed “for a laugh,” and had no official purpose.
“They were shared by deputies playing video games,” Li said. “They were shared repeatedly with people who had absolutely no reason to receive them.”
An attorney for the county defended the taking of the photos as an essential tool for first-responders seeking to share information when they thought they still might save lives at the chaotic, dangerous and hard-to-reach crash scene in the Calabasas hills west of Los Angeles
“Site photography is essential,” county lawyer J. Mira Hashmall said.
Kobe Bryant, his 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and other parents and players were flying to a girls basketball tournament when their chartered helicopter crashed in fog. Federal safety officials blamed pilot error.
ELSEWHERE
Qatar seeks earlier
start for World Cup
Host nation Qatar is planning to play in the opening game of its World Cup tournament, after all — and on a stand-alone day being added to the schedule barely 100 days before kickoff.
Soccer’s marquee tournament is now set start one day earlier than originally scheduled seven years ago in a move that would allow Qatar to play Ecuador on Nov. 20, a person familiar with the proposal said Wednesday.
The person spoke on condition of anonymity because the person was not authorized to discuss the matter.
The proposal will go before a committee comprised of FIFA President Gianni Infantino and the heads of the six continental soccer bodies, the person said. A decision is expected this week.
• David Alaba and Karim Benzema scored in each half for Real Madrid to win the UEFA Super Cup with a 2-0 victory over Eintracht Frankfurt in Helsinki.
WNBA: Sabrina Ionescu had 13 points, nine rebounds and seven assists, Sami Whitcomb added 15 points and the visiting New York Liberty stayed in the playoff race with a 91-73 victory over the Dallas Wings. New York (14-20) is tied with Atlanta for the eighth playoff spot.
NHL: Former Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Borje Salming has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease, the team announced.
NASCAR: Kurt Busch said he pushed himself too hard trying to return to competition and will miss his fourth consecutive Cup Series race because of concussion-like symptoms. Busch has been out since crashing in qualifying on July 23 at Pocono Raceway. He hoped to be back in the No. 45 Toyota for 23XI Racing on Sunday at Richmond Raceway.
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