A Los Angeles Superior Court judge granted a motion filed by Vanessa Bryant, Kobe Bryant’s wife, to have L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva testify in the case over alleged photos taken of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash site.

According to City News Service, seeking testimony from Sheriff Villanueva on the case involving Kobe Bryant’s crash, was said to be “neither abusive nor harassing.”

It has been alleged that deputies on- scene of the January 2020 crash that took the life of Bryant, his daughter Gigi and 11 others, took and shared photos.

The lawsuit filed in 2020 by Vanessa Bryant states that she and her family suffered emotional distress when finding out about the alleged photos that were taken.

“Faced with a scene of unimaginable loss, no fewer than eight sheriff’s deputies at the crash site pulled out their personal cell phones and snapped photos of the dead children, parents, and coaches,” the lawsuit stated. “The deputies took these photos for their own personal gratification.”

Along with Villanueva, Fire Chief Daryl Osby was also asked to testify for their “unique knowledge” of the situation.

Investigators believe the Bryant crash occurred after the helicopter entered clouds at excessive speeds while on its way to the Mamba Sports Academy for a game.

Bryant was survived by his wife Vanessa and three other daughters — Natalia, Bianca and Capri

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