Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse staff’s private objects, physique digital camera exhibits otherwise

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

WTOC studies 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 law 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, including suitcases with drug-sniffing canine.

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

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

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a information conference in regards to the incident but took no questions. He claimed that no private items on the bus had been searched.

Body digital camera video obtained by WTOC, nevertheless, clearly showed the deputies going by the scholars’ bags and even medicine.

The university president wrote in his statement that videos taken by gamers confirmed regulation enforcement trying 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 Player. “They knowledgeable us of what they’re gonna do and nobody questioned them...we just allow them to rattle via our stuff.”

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

A deputy responded: “Well, he stopped y’all, he didn’t stop y’all for a traffic violation...he stopped the motive force 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 different state officers.

Allen wrote that everybody was incensed over the incident.

Allen additionally added the following:

“We do not intend to let this or another incident like it pass idly by. We're prepared to go wherever the evidence leads us. We've video. Now we have allies. Maybe more significantly, we've got the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his statement by writing, “We are going to never be bullied into believing anything other than what we're: Individuals, learners, academics, builders—helpful and honorable people able to soar.”

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