Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse staff’s personal gadgets, body digital camera shows in any other case

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Grey News) - An incident that involved players from a college’s lacrosse crew and deputies in Georgia stays beneath investigation.

WTOC reviews 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,” mentioned a Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The crew was returning home from a game in Florida and touring by a contracted bus, in accordance with Allen.

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a news convention about the incident but took no questions. He claimed that no private items on the bus have been searched.

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

The college president wrote in his assertion that movies taken by players showed law enforcement making an attempt to intimidate them into confessing to possession of drugs 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 participant on the bus asked: “How did we go from being in the fallacious lane to going by way of our bags?”

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

Nothing illegal was found in 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 every other incident like it go idly by. We are ready to go wherever the proof leads us. We've video. We have now allies. Maybe extra considerably, we have the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his assertion by writing, “We'll by no means be bullied into believing something aside from what we are: Individuals, learners, academics, builders—helpful and honorable individuals able to soar.”

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