Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse crew’s personal items, body camera exhibits otherwise

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

WTOC stories Delaware State University President Tony Allen launched an announcement on Monday responding to the incident that reportedly occurred on April 20 in Liberty County.

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

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

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

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

Physique digicam video obtained by WTOC, nevertheless, clearly showed the deputies going through the scholars’ bags and even medicine.

The university president wrote in his assertion that movies taken by gamers 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 no one questioned them...we simply let them rattle by our stuff.”

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

A deputy responded: “Well, he stopped y’all, he didn’t stop y’all for a traffic violation...he stopped the driver for a visitors violation.”

Nothing illegal was discovered within the search, and Allen informed 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 also added the following:

“We don't intend to let this or any other incident prefer it go idly by. We are prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. We have video. We've got allies. Maybe extra significantly, we have now the courage of our convictions.”

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

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