Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse staff’s personal items, body digicam reveals otherwise

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

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

Allen wrote Georgia law enforcement stopped a bus for a minor visitors violation with the Delaware State Lacrosse group 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 at all,” said a Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The workforce was returning home 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 but took no questions. He claimed that no personal objects on the bus had been searched.

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

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

“They didn’t actually ask us,” mentioned Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Participant. “They knowledgeable us of what they’re gonna do and no one questioned them...we just let them rattle through our stuff.”

A participant on the bus requested: “How did we go from being within the improper lane to going by means of our baggage?”

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

Nothing unlawful was found within the search, and Allen knowledgeable the public that he has contacted Delaware’s governor, the Black Caucus and different state officials.

Allen wrote that everybody was incensed over the incident.

Allen additionally added the next:

“We do not intend to let this or every other incident prefer it move idly by. We are ready to go wherever the proof leads us. Now we have video. Now we have allies. Perhaps extra considerably, we have now the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his statement by writing, “We will by no means be bullied into believing anything other than what we are: Individuals, learners, teachers, builders—helpful and honorable folks ready to soar.”

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