Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse team’s personal objects, body camera shows otherwise

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Gray News) - An incident that involved gamers from a university’s lacrosse workforce and deputies in Georgia stays underneath investigation.

WTOC stories Delaware State College President Tony Allen released an announcement on Monday responding to the incident that reportedly occurred on April 20 in Liberty County.

Allen wrote Georgia legislation enforcement stopped a bus for a minor traffic violation with the Delaware State Lacrosse workforce on board. Deputies searched the belongings of the student-athletes, including suitcases with drug-sniffing dogs.

“100% you can’t be in that left lane in any respect,” mentioned a Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The crew was returning residence from a sport in Florida and traveling by a contracted bus, in keeping with Allen.

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a information conference in regards to the incident but took no questions. He claimed that no personal gadgets on the bus were searched.

Body digicam video obtained by WTOC, nonetheless, clearly confirmed the deputies going by means of the scholars’ luggage and even remedy.

The university president wrote in his statement that videos taken by players showed legislation enforcement attempting to intimidate them into confessing to possession of medicine and/or drug paraphernalia.

“They didn’t really ask us,” said Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Participant. “They informed us of what they’re gonna do and nobody questioned them...we simply let them rattle by our stuff.”

A participant on the bus asked: “How did we go from being in the fallacious lane to going by way of our bags?”

A deputy responded: “Properly, he stopped y’all, he didn’t cease y’all for a traffic violation...he stopped the motive force for a visitors violation.”

Nothing unlawful was discovered in the search, and Allen knowledgeable the public that he has contacted Delaware’s governor, the Black Caucus and other state officials.

Allen wrote that everybody was incensed over the incident.

Allen additionally added the following:

“We do not intend to let this or another incident like it go idly by. We are prepared to go wherever the proof leads us. We've video. We have allies. Perhaps extra significantly, we have the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his assertion by writing, “We will never be bullied into believing something apart from what we are: Individuals, learners, teachers, builders—useful and honorable people ready to soar.”

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