Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse staff’s personal gadgets, body camera exhibits otherwise

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Grey Information) - An incident that concerned gamers from a university’s lacrosse team and deputies in Georgia stays underneath investigation.

WTOC reports Delaware State University President Tony Allen launched a statement on Monday responding to the incident that reportedly happened on April 20 in Liberty County.

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

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

The workforce was returning dwelling from a recreation in Florida and touring by a contracted bus, in line with Allen.

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a news conference in regards to the incident however took no questions. He claimed that no private objects on the bus had been searched.

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

The college president wrote in his assertion 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,” stated Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Player. “They knowledgeable us of what they’re gonna do and no one questioned them...we simply let them rattle by means of our stuff.”

A participant on the bus asked: “How did we go from being within the flawed lane to going through our luggage?”

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

Nothing unlawful was found within the search, and Allen informed 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 next:

“We do not intend to let this or another incident like it pass idly by. We're ready to go wherever the evidence leads us. We now have video. We now have allies. Maybe extra significantly, we have now the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his assertion by writing, “We are going to by no means be bullied into believing something apart from what we're: Individuals, learners, teachers, builders—useful and honorable folks ready to soar.”

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