Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse workforce’s personal gadgets, physique digicam exhibits in any other case

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

WTOC studies Delaware State University President Tony Allen released an announcement on Monday responding to the incident that reportedly happened on April 20 in Liberty County.

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

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

The workforce was returning house from a recreation in Florida and traveling by a contracted bus, in accordance with Allen.

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a news conference about the incident but took no questions. He claimed that no private objects on the bus were searched.

Physique digital camera video obtained by WTOC, however, clearly showed the deputies going through the students’ luggage and even medication.

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

“They didn’t really ask us,” mentioned Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Player. “They knowledgeable us of what they’re gonna do and nobody questioned them...we simply allow them to rattle by means of our stuff.”

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

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

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

Allen wrote that everybody was incensed over the incident.

Allen additionally added the following:

“We don't intend to let this or another incident like it cross idly by. We're prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. Now we have video. We've got allies. Maybe extra significantly, we've the braveness of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his statement by writing, “We'll by no means be bullied into believing anything other than what we're: Americans, learners, lecturers, builders—useful and honorable people able to soar.”

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