Yesterday (August 13), we reported that Deputy Doug Johnson testified in the case against Los Angeles Officials. Vanessa Bryant has sued the officers for taking and sharing photos of her loved one's dead bodies. During his testimony, Deputy Johnson claimed that he was ordered to take the images from a higher-up and didn't know whose bodies they were.
Additionally, he claimed he only took 25 pictures, but another official claimed he took nearly 100. While many were disappointed in his actions, Johnson stated that he did not regret what he had done, and would do it again if the circumstances presented themselves. On day two of the trial, it was revealed that a Los Angeles firefighter was also responsible for distributing the horrifying images.
Luella Weireter, a former emergency medical technician and wife of an L.A. firefighter, took the stand on Friday to tell what she had experienced. She stated that, in February of 2020, she attended the Radio and Television News Association of Southern California's Golden Mike Awards. While there, she witnessed Tony Imbrenda, a firefighter from L.A. county, sharing images of the deceased with his colleagues.
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Weireter went further into detail, explaining what she'd heard someone say after they'd viewed the images. "I can't believe I just looked at Kobe's burnt up body, and now I'm about to eat," she recalled them stating. According to CNN, following Weirter's statement, Vanessa was seen shedding tears while she rocked back and forth with her head in her hands.
Two weeks after the awards ceremony had taken place, Weireter drove to a fire station in Malibu and filed a complaint with a battalion chief.
[via]