Vanessa Bryant Slams LA Sheriff Over LeBron James Challenge

By Dana Cruz Sep 16 2020, 05:14 AM EDT

Kobe Bryant and Vanessa Bryant — Kobe Bryant (R) and Vanessa Laine Bryant attend the 90th Annual Academy Awards Governors Ball at Hollywood & Highland Center on March 4, 2018 in Hollywood, California. Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images

Vanessa Bryant commented on Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva's challenge to LeBron James regarding the reward money in search of the two deputies' shooter Saturday.

In a KABC interview on Monday, Villanueva challenged James to match or double the reward money to catch the gunman. At present, the reward money stands at $175,000. It will be given to anyone with information leading to the arrest of the assailant.

James has yet to respond to Villanueva's remark.

Vanessa Bryant Fires Back

Bryant was not pleased. She fired back at the sheriff's department with claims of her own, noted the Lakers Daily.

An Instagram story was posted by Kobe Bryant's widow late Monday, referencing to Villanueva's callout on James. She also posted references that linked Villanueva's department to a leak of photos from the crash site, which claimed the lives of Kobe and their daughter Gianna.

She mainly posted screenshots of Twitter responses from a Twitter user named @ElanMaee, reported the Los Angeles Times. She also posted articles regarding Villanueva's challenge and the controversy with the crash site photos.

"How can he talk about trusting the system?" the tweet that Bryant reposted in her Instagram stories. The Twitter user pointed out that Villanueva's department "couldn't be trusted" to secure Kobe's helicopter crash site.

The tweet continued, stating that the department's deputies shared graphic photos of the helicopter crash victims. "Vanessa Bryant is suing them," the tweet said.

Another tweet from the same user was also posted on Bryant's Instagram. It said the challenge for James 'to step up to the plate' should not happen.

The Twitter user reasoned out that Villanueva himself "couldn't even 'step up to the plate' and hold his deputies accountable" for taking photos of dead children.

One of Bryant's posts featured photos of the crash victims. It also tagged the sheriff department's Instagram.

She did add, though, that she is concerned for the wounded deputies. Bryant asked for prayers for the two deputies and reiterated that not all deputies are "bad apples."

More on Villanueva's Comments

James is an outspoken advocate for social justice and racial issues, the Yahoo Sports noted. He is also vocal about shootings that involved uniformed officers.

"Black men, Black women, Black kids, we are terrified," he told reporters earlier. This might be one of the comments that Villanueva was pointing to.

What Happened?

Villanueva's entire challenge sparked from the shooting of two Los Angeles deputies at a Metro station in Compton.

An unidentified man approached the deputies from behind while inside their patrol vehicle. They were shot multiple times and at close range.

Security footage, which was shot using a fisheye lens, could not give a clear profile for the shooter, whom authorities deduced to be a male.

The officers managed to get out of the vehicle and call a dispatcher, calling for a police-involved shooting. On the other hand, the shooter fled by foot and turned a corner away from the scene.

Both deputies were rushed to the hospital and had to fight for their life but are now considered stable.