Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse crew’s personal items, physique digital camera shows otherwise

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

WTOC experiences Delaware State College President Tony Allen launched a statement on Monday responding to the incident that reportedly occurred on April 20 in Liberty County.

Allen wrote Georgia law enforcement stopped a bus for a minor traffic violation with the Delaware State Lacrosse crew on board. Deputies searched the belongings of the student-athletes, together with suitcases with drug-sniffing canines.

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

The staff was returning house from a game in Florida and traveling by a contracted bus, in line with Allen.

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a information convention about the incident however took no questions. He claimed that no private gadgets on the bus have been searched.

Physique digicam video obtained by WTOC, nonetheless, clearly confirmed the deputies going through the scholars’ bags and even remedy.

The university president wrote in his statement that videos taken by gamers showed legislation enforcement attempting to intimidate them into confessing to possession of medication 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 no one questioned them...we simply let them rattle by our stuff.”

A participant on the bus requested: “How did we go from being in the mistaken lane to going by way of our baggage?”

A deputy responded: “Properly, he stopped y’all, he didn’t stop y’all for a site visitors violation...he stopped the driving force for a site visitors violation.”

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

Allen wrote that everyone was incensed over the incident.

Allen also added the next:

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

Allen concluded his statement by writing, “We will by no means be bullied into believing anything aside from what we're: Individuals, learners, teachers, builders—useful and honorable individuals able to soar.”

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