Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse group’s private objects, body camera shows in any other case

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

WTOC stories 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 regulation enforcement stopped a bus for a minor site visitors violation with the Delaware State Lacrosse crew 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 in any respect,” mentioned a Liberty County Sheriff’s Deputy.

The group was returning dwelling from a sport in Florida and touring by a contracted bus, in keeping with Allen.

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

Physique digital camera video obtained by WTOC, nevertheless, clearly showed the deputies going by means of the students’ bags and even remedy.

The university president wrote in his statement that movies taken by gamers confirmed regulation enforcement trying to intimidate them into confessing to possession of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia.

“They didn’t actually ask us,” stated Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Participant. “They informed us of what they’re gonna do and nobody questioned them...we just let them rattle by means of our stuff.”

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

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

Nothing illegal was discovered in the search, and Allen knowledgeable the 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 do not intend to let this or some other incident prefer it move idly by. We're prepared to go wherever the proof leads us. We have now video. Now we have allies. Maybe extra considerably, we have the braveness of our convictions.”

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

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