The posts were of an amended complaint — filed Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles and obtained by CNN — that named deputies Joey Cruz, Rafael Mejia, Michael Russell, and Raul Versales as the defendants, in addition to Los Angeles County, its sheriff and fire departments. The lawsuit seeks damages, claiming negligence and invasion of privacy.
On the same day, Cruz also showed the photos of the Bryants’ remains to his niece, according to the complaint.
The bartender who saw the photos then shared with other customers that he had seen the photos and “described specific characteristics of Mr. Bryant’s remains,” the complaint states.
One of the customers found this situation “very, very disturbing” and emailed a complaint to the sheriff’s department, describing the deputy.
Another deputy, Russell, allegedly shared photos with a friend with whom he “plays video games nightly,” the complaint said.
“Mrs. Bryant looks forward to presenting her case in open court,” Vanessa Bryant’s attorney Luis Li said in a statement to CNN.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
“We respect the judge’s decision,” the Association for Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs President Ron Hernandez said in a statement. “Our main concern is for the privacy of all parties involved.”