Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse group’s private objects, body digicam reveals otherwise

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Gray Information) - An incident that concerned players from a college’s lacrosse workforce and deputies in Georgia remains below investigation.

WTOC reports Delaware State College President Tony Allen launched a press release on Monday responding to the incident that reportedly happened 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 team on board. Deputies searched the belongings of the student-athletes, together with suitcases with drug-sniffing dogs.

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

The group was returning residence from a recreation in Florida and traveling by a contracted bus, in keeping with Allen.

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a news convention in regards to the incident however took no questions. He claimed that no personal gadgets on the bus have been searched.

Physique digicam video obtained by WTOC, nevertheless, clearly showed the deputies going by means of the students’ baggage and even medicine.

The university president wrote in his statement that movies taken by gamers confirmed regulation 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 by means of our stuff.”

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

A deputy responded: “Effectively, he stopped y’all, he didn’t cease y’all for a traffic violation...he stopped the driver 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 officials.

Allen wrote that everybody was incensed over the incident.

Allen additionally added the following:

“We do not intend to let this or every other incident prefer it move idly by. We're prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. We now have video. We've allies. Perhaps extra significantly, we've the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his assertion by writing, “We are going to never be bullied into believing anything apart from what we are: Americans, learners, academics, builders—helpful and honorable individuals ready to soar.”

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