Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse team’s personal objects, physique digicam shows in any other case

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

WTOC reviews 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 regulation enforcement stopped a bus for a minor site visitors violation with the Delaware State Lacrosse staff on board. Deputies searched the belongings of the student-athletes, together with suitcases with drug-sniffing dogs.

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

The workforce was returning residence from a recreation in Florida and traveling by a contracted bus, according to Allen.

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

Physique camera video obtained by WTOC, nevertheless, clearly showed the deputies going by means of the students’ bags and even treatment.

The college president wrote in his assertion that videos taken by players showed legislation enforcement making an attempt 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 Player. “They knowledgeable us of what they’re gonna do and no one questioned them...we simply let them rattle through our stuff.”

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

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

Nothing unlawful was discovered in 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 some other incident like it move idly by. We're ready to go wherever the evidence leads us. We've video. We have now allies. Perhaps more considerably, we've got the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his statement by writing, “We will never be bullied into believing something aside from what we're: Individuals, learners, academics, builders—useful and honorable people able to soar.”

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