Sheriff’s department investigating whether deputies shared Kobe Bryant crash scene photos

The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said Friday it was “deeply disturbed” over a report that deputies shared photographs from the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant, his daughter and seven others.

The Los Angeles Times reported Thursday that a source said he saw one of the photos on the phone of another official in a setting that had nothing to do with the investigation of the crash.

The source told the newspaper that sharing the photos of the crash scene and the victim’s remains was the topic of a discussion among first responders two days after the crash.

The sheriff’s department, in a Facebook post, said it is conducting a thorough investigation of reports on the matter.

“The sheriff is deeply disturbed at the thought deputies could allegedly engage in such an insensitive act,” the post said.

It said the investigation will look at the effectiveness of existing policies and procedures.

The helicopter crashed near Calabasas as it headed to a youth basketball game on a foggy morning on January 26.

The National Transportation Safety Board is trying to determine the cause and has collected evidence at the scene. The agency said it is investigating weather as a key factor and has asked for photos showing weather conditions at the time.