The final verdict was reached late Wednesday afternoon with the jury finding Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department (LASD) and Fire Department (LAFD) did share photos of the bodies of Bryant and Chris' loved ones and in doing so invaded their privacy and caused emotional distress.
The jury ordered the LASD to pay Vanessa $10 million and to pay Chris a total of $9 million. While the LAFD is ordered to pay the pair $6 million each.
The decision came down coincidentally onKobe BryantDay aka Mamba Day which is a day honoring the late Los Angeles Lakers legend whose jersey numbers were #8 and #24.
Vanessa Bryant, her daughter Natalia Bryant and close friend Sydney Leroux leave court room.Patrick T. FALLON/AFP/Getty
The emotional trial concluded just hours after Los Angeles County’s legal team made its closing arguments.
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“While we disagree with the jury’s findings as to the county’s liability, we believe the monetary award shows that jurors didn’t believe the evidence supported the plaintiffs' requests for $75 million for emotional distress,” Hashmall said in a statement provided to PEOPLE.
“We will be discussing next steps with our client,” she said. “Meanwhile, we hope the Bryant and Chester families continue to heal from their tragic loss.”
Since it began on August 10, the trial revealed harrowing details about the aftermath of theJanuary 2020 helicopter crashthat killed NBA legend and 13-year-oldGiannaBryant, and the seven other people on board.
Mona Shafer Edwards/BACKGRID
Vanessa and Chris Chester, who tragically lost his wifeSarahand their 13-year-old daughterPaytonin the crash, suedLos Angeles County for emotional distress and mental anguishafter learning members of the department had shared photos of the victims' remains. At the time of the crash, Kobe and Gianna were traveling to a youth basketball game with seven others.
The jury also heard from Ralph Mendez Jr., a bar patron who said he witnessed the interaction and then filed a formal complaint with the sheriff’s department.
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While on the stand, the 40-year-old widow recalled visiting the Lost Hills Sheriff Station the morning of the accident and asking Sheriff Alex Villanueva to protect the Calabasas crash site from the paparazzi. “If you can’t bring my babies back, can you please secure the area?” Vanessa recalled telling Villanueva at the station.
Just three days later, the photo-sharing allegations amongst the first responders came to light in an article in theLos Angeles Timespublished on Feb. 27, 2020. “I trusted them not to do these things,” the bereaved mother said during her testimony, adding that she was angry with the sheriff and fire departments for not telling her about the pictures being shared.
RELATED VIDEO: Inside Vanessa Bryant’s Heartbreaking and Powerful Testimony About Kobe and Gianna’s Deaths
Kobe’s body was recovered on the day of the crash, while Gianna — a basketball player with the Mamba Sports Academy with dreams of playing in the WNBA — was found a day later in a ravine.
In a moment that saw a wave of emotion wash across those in the courtroom, Vanessa accused emergency personnel who allegedly photographed and shared images showing Gianna’s body of “taking advantage that her daddy wasn’t there to protect her.”
“He was at the morgue,” she said.
Vanessa Bryant and Kobe Bryant with two of their daughters, Natalia and Gianna, in 2018.Axelle/Bauer-Griffin/FilmMagic
During his testimony, Chris recounted learning about the crash while driving to Lost Hills sheriff’s station after texts to Payton and Sarah went unanswered.
“Lots of things were going through my head, but I thought I was going to a hospital,” he explained, believing Payton and Sarah would be injured but still alive. But the station was alarmingly quiet, he said, and “I had started to get an eery feeling.”
source: people.com
