Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse crew’s personal gadgets, body digicam shows otherwise

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

WTOC reviews Delaware State College President Tony Allen launched 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 workforce 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 in any respect,” said a Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The staff was returning home from a game in Florida and traveling by a contracted bus, in accordance 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 gadgets on the bus were searched.

Physique digital camera video obtained by WTOC, nonetheless, clearly confirmed the deputies going by means of the scholars’ baggage and even remedy.

The university president wrote in his assertion that videos taken by gamers 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 informed us of what they’re gonna do and no one questioned them...we just allow them to rattle by means of our stuff.”

A player on the bus requested: “How did we go from being in the improper lane to going by our luggage?”

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

Nothing unlawful was discovered within the search, and Allen knowledgeable the general public that he has contacted Delaware’s governor, the Black Caucus and other state officers.

Allen wrote that everybody was incensed over the incident.

Allen additionally added the following:

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

Allen concluded his statement by writing, “We'll never be bullied into believing something apart from what we are: Individuals, learners, lecturers, builders—helpful and honorable people able to soar.”

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