Governer Gavin Newsom has approved legislation prompted by the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and 8 other people that makes it a crime for first responders to take unauthorised photos of deceased people at the scene of an accident or crime, reports AP.
Reports surfaced that the January 25 helicopter crash that killed Bryant, his daughter Gianna and the others that graphic photos of the victims were being shared.
Eight deputies were accused of taking or sharing graphic photos of the scene, Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva said, adding that he had ordered the images deleted.
He said the department has a policy against taking and sharing crime scene photos, but it did not apply to accident scenes.
The measure that will take effect January 1 makes it a misdemeanor with fines up to $1,000 per offense to take such photos for anything other than an official law enforcement purpose.
Vanessa Bryant, Kobe’s widow has sued the department over the photos.
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