Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse group’s personal gadgets, body digicam reveals otherwise

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

WTOC experiences Delaware State College President Tony Allen released a press release 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 traffic violation with the Delaware State Lacrosse staff on board. Deputies searched the belongings of the student-athletes, including suitcases with drug-sniffing canines.

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

The group was returning residence from a recreation in Florida and touring by a contracted bus, in response to Allen.

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

Physique digital camera video obtained by WTOC, however, clearly showed the deputies going by way of the students’ baggage and even medicine.

The college president wrote in his assertion that videos taken by gamers showed regulation enforcement trying to intimidate them into confessing to possession of drugs and/or drug paraphernalia.

“They didn’t really ask us,” mentioned Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Player. “They informed us of what they’re gonna do and no one questioned them...we simply allow them to rattle by way of our stuff.”

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

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

Nothing illegal was discovered within the search, and Allen knowledgeable the general public that he has contacted Delaware’s governor, the Black Caucus and other state officials.

Allen wrote that everyone was incensed over the incident.

Allen additionally added the following:

“We don't intend to let this or some other incident like it move idly by. We are ready to go wherever the proof leads us. Now we have video. We have allies. Maybe extra significantly, we now have the braveness of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his statement by writing, “We'll never be bullied into believing something other than what we're: Americans, learners, academics, builders—useful and honorable people able to soar.”

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