L.A. County Sheriff's Department looking into reports deputies shared photos of Kobe Bryant crash

Two public safety officials told the Los Angeles Times that Los Angeles County sheriff's deputies shared graphic photos from the scene of the helicopter crash that killed Kobe Bryant and eight others last month.

The Times says it's unclear how many people saw the pictures, which allegedly showed the victims' remains, and whether deputies took the photos themselves or received them from someone else. One of the officials told the Times he saw a picture on someone else's cell phone, while not working on the case. He also said that two days after the crash, first responders were discussing pictures that had been taken showing the aftermath.

The L.A. County Sheriff's Department on Thursday said "the matter is being looked into." This could be a significant breach, as sharing such photos with people who are not authorized to view them is "a cardinal sin in law enforcement," Joseph Giacalone, an instructor at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, told the Times.

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