Kobe Bryant Crash Photo Case: Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputies Claim They Showed Snaps of Tragedy to Relieve Stress

Two Los Angeles Sheriff's deputies who shared photos of the site of Kobe Bryant said they shared the snap to alleviate their stress.

Los Angeles Sheriff's Deputies Joey Cruz and Michael Russel took the stand on the trial on Tuesday, where they explained why they showed the photos to other people.

Cruz was the first one who took the stand, where he described what happened the night of January 28, two days after the fatal crash, Insider reported.

Surveillance footage showed Cruz displaying a series of photos on his phone for under a minute while bartender Victor Gutierrez appeared to be looking on.

Cruz said in his testimony that he went to the Baja California Bar that day to unwind. During his visit to the bar, he noted that he vented out to the bartender, who is also his close friend.

"We handle stress differently," Cruz said during his testimony.

Los Angeles County officials did not deny that Cruz had a lapse in his behavior. The county maintained that the photos did not spread beyond the bar and were deleted shortly thereafter.

Los Angeles Deputy Shares Kobe Bryant Crash Photo While Playing a Game

Los Angeles Deputy Michael Russel also took the stand on Tuesday, admitting to his errors in telling investigators that he shared the photos while he was working.

"I made mistakes," Russell told the court. He then admitted that when he received the photos from Cruz, he texted his group of friends, including LASD Deputy Ben Sanchez, to log on and play "Call of Duty."

Russell noted that he texted the photos to Sanchez. The Deputy maintained that playing "Call of Duty" and sharing information with his friends is how he relieves stress. However, he acknowledged that what he did was wrong.

"I had no business doing that," Russell underscored.

Cruz and Russell took the stand during the fifth day of Kobe Bryant's crash photo trial.

Kobe Bryant Crash Photo Trial

Vanessa Bryant is seeking legal action against the Sheriff Department and Fire Department of Los Angeles County after the photos of her late husband's decapitated body were shared.

On Monday, former Fire Captain Boran Jordan took the stand, claiming that he was instructed to take photos at the crash scene. However, a chief from the fire department pushed back with what Jordan said, contending that the former fire captain was not instructed to do so.

In his testimony, Jordan said that how the tragedy looked will "haunt" him forever.

The helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant occurred on January 26, two years ago. Kobe's daughter, Gianna, was among the casualties, as well as baseball coach John Altobelli and his family.

The crash occurred near Malibu, California, as Kobe and her daughter were heading to her basketball game.

All nine people aboard, including pilot Ara Zobayan, died in the crash.

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Written By: Joshua Summers

WATCH: LA Deputy Says He Regrets Showing Kobe Bryant Crash Photos to Bartender - From Law&Crime Network