More details continue to emerge with regard to the trial of Vanessa Bryant's lawsuit against the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Office over the leaked photos of her husband Kobe Bryant's crash site. A county deputy took the stand on Tuesday and his shocking admission further puts the Sherrif's Office in a lot of heat for their alleged mishandling of the incident.
According to a report by TMZ Sports, deputy Michael Russell admitted on the stand that he sent photos of the crash site to a fellow cop while the two were playing a video game:
Russell, who claimed he had initially received the photos from fellow deputy Joey Cruz hours after the wreck, said he joined a video game party with Santa Clarita deputy Ben Sanchez the following day.
While the two were playing the first-person shooter game, Russell testified he told Sanchez he had the photos, and then asked if he wanted to see them. When the cop said yes, Russell said he sent them over.
It sounds like Russell was more than eager to share the photos with his buddy. He admitted in court, however, that he was in the wrong for sending the photos. Russell also revealed that save for a minor write-up, he was not punished for his actions by the Sherrif's Office.
Joey Cruz, the man Russell identified as his source for the photos, also took the stand on Tuesday. The deputy admitted that he also showed the photos to a bartender as a way to relieve the stress he had to undergo while dealing with the high-profile case.
The Kobe Bryant crash photos trial will continue over the next few weeks/months, and we will be sure to pass along any new information as they come.