Sheriff claims deputies didn’t search lacrosse staff’s personal items, body digicam shows otherwise

LIBERTY COUNTY, Ga. (WTOC/Gray Information) - An incident that concerned players from a college’s lacrosse staff and deputies in Georgia remains below investigation.

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

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

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

Liberty County Sheriff William Bowman held a news conference in regards to the incident but took no questions. He claimed that no personal objects on the bus were searched.

Body camera video obtained by WTOC, however, clearly confirmed the deputies going by the students’ luggage and even medication.

The college president wrote in his statement that videos taken by gamers confirmed law enforcement trying to intimidate them into confessing to possession of medicine and/or drug paraphernalia.

“They didn’t actually ask us,” stated Sydney Anderson, a Delaware State Lacrosse Player. “They knowledgeable us of what they’re gonna do and no one questioned them...we simply allow them to rattle via our stuff.”

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

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

Nothing illegal was discovered in the search, and Allen informed the 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 also added the following:

“We do not intend to let this or every other incident prefer it pass idly by. We are ready to go wherever the evidence leads us. We've got video. We have now allies. Maybe extra significantly, we have now the courage of our convictions.”

Allen concluded his assertion by writing, “We are going to never be bullied into believing anything aside from what we are: People, learners, academics, builders—helpful and honorable individuals ready to soar.”

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