Governor Newsom Signs Law Against First Responders Taking Pictures Following Death Of Kobe Bryant
On Monday, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law legislation that makes it illegal for first responders to take unauthorized pictures of people killed at the scene of an accident or crime.
As the Associated Press reports, the measure was proposed back in May following the tragic January helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter Gianna Bryant and seven other people. After the accident, eight deputies were accused of taking or sharing graphic photos of the scene, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said then, adding that he had ordered the images deleted. At the time, he noted that the department has a policy against taking and sharing crime scene photos, but it did not apply to accident scenes.
Bryant’s widow, Vanessa Bryant, recently sued the department over the photos. AB 2655 now makes it a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 per offense for first responders to take and share accident and crime scene photos for any purpose other than an official law enforcement purpose or a genuine public interest. The measure that will take effect Jan. 1.
CBS LOS ANGELES reports that Assemblyman Mike Gipson, D-Carson, was the one who pushed for the legislation following reports that several deputies with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash. He wrote on Twitter:
“Proud to report that my bill, The #KobeBryant Act of 2020, was signed today by @GavinNewsom. #AB2655 will prohibit first responders from taking photos of the deceased outside of job duties. #caleg.”
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