LA County official apologizes to Vanessa Bryant in federal court

A chief with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department apologized to Vanessa Bryant and Christopher Chester from the witness box Tuesday for the way the office handled a complaint that gruesome photos of their loved one's remains were shared at a bar, according to a report.

Vanessa Bryant's husband, NBA star Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gianna, 13, Christopher Chester's wife, Sarah Chester, their daughter, Payton, also, 13, along with five others perished in the collision in Calabasas, California, Jan. 26, 2020.

Vanessa Bryant and Christopher Chester sued Los Angeles County for invasion of privacy over the photos, and the civil trial is currently underway in U. S. District Court.

Chief Jorge Valdez said he learned for the first time during questioning Tuesday that no one from Los Angeles County ever apologized to Christopher Chester for the breach, Law & Crime reported.

He then looked directly at Chester and Vanessa Bryant, who were seated side by side at the plaintiff's table and offered his "utmost condolences."

"Can you think of one single reason why you couldn’t have driven down to Orange County and looked him in the eye and apologized?" asked Chester's attorney, Jerry Jackson.

"No, sir," replied Valdez, who was tasked with fielding inquiries from a Los Angeles Times reporter in February 2020 for an article that first reported on the sharing of the unauthorized crash site photos.... (Read more)

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