"First responders should be trustworthy. It is inexcusable and deplorable that some deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff's substation, other surrounding substations and LAFD would allegedly breach their duty. This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families.
"We are demanding that those responsible for these alleged actions face the harshest possible discipline, and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated. We are requesting an Internal Affairs investigation of these alleged incidents."
The Los Angeles Sheriff's Department said in a statement Friday it was investigating the allegations detailed in the newspaper's report.
"The sheriff is deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act," the statement said. "A thorough investigation will be conducted by the department, with the number one priority of protecting the dignity and privacy of the victims and their families."
Deputy Maria Lucero told The Associated Press on Friday that "the matter is being looked into."
The Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, the union that represents rank-and-file deputies, declined to comment specifically on the allegations.
"As with all investigations, we will aggressively represent our members and preserve their rights," the union said in a statement Friday.
The Times reported that it's unclear how widely the photos might have been disseminated and who was involved. It's additionally unclear whether the deputies had taken the photos themselves or received them from someone else.
Capt. Jorge Valdez, a spokesman for the sheriff's department, said the department had contacted the victims' families because of the newspaper's inquiries.
Bryant and the others were killed in the Jan. 27 helicopter crash northwest of Los Angeles were traveling to a youth basketball tournament at Bryant's sports facility in Thousand Oaks. The cause of the crash is undetermined.
Bryant and his daughter Gianna, whose team was coached by her father, were honoured at a public memorial Monday at Staples Center, where Bryant starred for most of his 20-year career with the Los Angeles Lakers.
A report by the National Transportation Safety Board stated there weren't any signs of engine failure from the wreckage recovered from the crash site. The pilot, Ara Zobayan, had nearly navigated the helicopter out of blinding clouds when it turned and plunged into the mountainside.
Bryant's widow, Vanessa, filed a wrongful death lawsuit last week, alleging that Zobayan was careless and negligent by flying in cloudy conditions and should have aborted the flight. The lawsuit names Island Express Helicopters Inc., operator of the service, and Island Express Holding Corp., owner of the craft. It also targets pilot Ara Zobayan's representative or successor, listed only as "Doe 1" until a name can be determined.
Also killed in the crash were Orange Coast College baseball coach John Altobelli, his wife, Keri, and their daughter Alyssa; Christina Mauser, who helped Bryant coach the girls' basketball team; and Sarah Chester and her daughter Payton. Alyssa and Payton were Gianna's teammates.
Why were they flying in a helicopter?
The eight passengers and one pilot were headed from John Wayne Airport in Orange County to Camarillo Airport near Bryant's Mamba Sports Academy in Thousand Oaks, where Bryant was to coach his daughter's Team Mamba in a noon game in a tournament. Bryant often took helicopters to beat Los Angeles traffic and, with the academy as much as a three-hour drive from Bryant's home, the group boarded his usual chartered chopper with his usual pilot at the controls.
What went wrong?
The Sikorsky S-76B hit the hillside at a high speed, for reasons that investigators have not yet determined, and burst into flames. It crashed about 17 miles from the academy.
Why will a final report take so long?
The NTSB plans to issue a preliminary report in 10 days, Homendy said, although a final report with conclusions about the cause of the crash could take 18 months. Investigators will look at the helicopter maintenance records as well as debris; the pilot's experience and actions; the weather; and what officials call the "cascade of errors" that can occur as an emergency escalates, especially in foggy conditions like those prevalent on the morning of the crash.
Several days after the crash, the wreckage was catalogued and placed on a flatbed truck to be driven to an aircraft yard, reportedly in Phoenix, where the NTSB analyzes debris from accidents.
What do we know about the crash itself?
An NTSB investigator described the crash as "high energy," with the chopper, which was at 2,300 feet when the pilot last communicated with air traffic controllers, descending at a rate of more than 33 feet per second (23 miles per hour) at impact. It was travelling forward at about 152 mph just before the crash, according to a radar report by FlightAware. Debris was strewn across more than 500 feet on the hillside. The helicopter was not equipped with a terrain avoidance warning system or a "black box" of the type typical on planes. Neither fact is unusual, but the presence of both might have helped avert the crash or provide information about it. According to Homendy, the helicopter may have missed clearing the hill by 20 to 30 feet. An iPad with ForeFlight, an app pilots use to log flight plans and weather briefings, was on board and recovered by investigators.
Did the pilot make a critical mistake?
Zobayan could have landed at Burbank's airport, but that would have forced passengers to seek ground transportation the rest of the way. That's never an easy judgment call to make, especially when you're carrying a VIP.
"Psychologically, that's the hardest part," Kurt Deetz, a former Island Express pilot, told the Times. "Biting the bullet and saying, 'The weather's crap, I have to turn back.' It's hard to accept the fact you can't get the job done." Instead, pilots often continue on and even the most experienced can become disoriented if not relying on instruments when cloud cover thickens and obscures the horizon.
- AP, with Washington Post
