Vanessa Bryant 'Absolutely Devastated' by Shock Report That Crash-Scene Photos Were Shared

Vanessa Bryant is reacting to the news that graphic photos from the scene of the January 26 helicopter crash that took the lives of her husband Kobe Bryant, their 13-year-old daughter Gianna, and seven others may have been shared inappropriately by authorities.

Vanessa's lawyer, Gary Robb, said in a statement released Saturday, "Our client, Vanessa Bryant, is absolutely devastated by allegations that deputies from the Lost Hills Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and Los Angeles County Fire Department publicly disseminated photos from the helicopter crash site."

Fearing the worst, Vanessa tried to ensure photos would be kept private. The statement asserts, "Mrs. Bryant personally went to the Sheriff's office on January 26th and requested that the area be designated a no-fly zone and protected from photographers. This was of critical importance to her as she desired to protect the dignity of all the victims, and their families. At that time, Sheriff Alex Villanueva assured us all measures would be put in place to protect the families' privacy, and it is our understanding that he has worked hard to honor those requests."

Sharing the disgusted reaction by many, Robb went on to underscore the seriousness of the report: "First responders should be trustworthy. It is inexcusable and deplorable that some deputies from the Lost Hills Sheriff's substation, other surrounding substations and LAFD would allegedly breach their duty. This is an unspeakable violation of human decency, respect, and of the privacy rights of the victims and their families. We are demanding that those responsible for these alleged actions face the harshest possible discipline, and that their identities be brought to light, to ensure that the photos are not further disseminated. We are requesting an Internal Affairs investigation of these alleged incidents."

Although angered by the reports, Vanessa, via Robb, expressed gratitude "to the individual who filed an online complaint exposing these acts of injustice, and for the choice to protect human dignity."

TMZ reported that multiple L.A. County Sheriff's deputies took gruesome photos of the scene of the helicopter crash, and that one of the deputies pulled up the photos at a bar several days after the crash "to impress a girl." According to TMZ, the bartender filed an online complaint with the Sheriff's Department after overhearing the conversation.

Robb ended his statement by imploring anyone with information to reach out to him. Read the entire statement, which was shared on Vanessa's Instagram account, below: