Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse group’s personal objects, physique digicam shows in any other case

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Grey News) - An incident that involved players from a university’s lacrosse team and deputies in Georgia remains under investigation.

WTOC studies Delaware State University President Tony Allen launched a press release on Monday responding to the incident that reportedly occurred 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 group on board. Deputies searched the belongings of the student-athletes, together with suitcases with drug-sniffing canine.

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

The group was returning home from a game in Florida and traveling by a contracted bus, according to Allen.

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

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

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

“They didn’t really ask us,” stated Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Player. “They informed us of what they’re gonna do and no one questioned them...we just let them rattle through our stuff.”

A player on the bus asked: “How did we go from being in the wrong lane to going by our bags?”

A deputy responded: “Effectively, he stopped y’all, he didn’t stop y’all for a visitors 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 additionally added the following:

“We don't intend to let this or every other incident like it pass idly by. We're ready to go wherever the evidence leads us. We now have video. We've allies. Maybe more significantly, we now have the braveness of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his assertion by writing, “We are going to by no means be bullied into believing something apart from what we are: Individuals, learners, teachers, builders—useful and honorable folks able to soar.”

Copyright 2022 WTOC via Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.