In an attempt to keep the matter under wraps, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department quietly ordered deputies to delete any photos of the Kobe Bryant helicopter crash scene after a citizen complained that a deputy was showing the gruesome images at a Norwalk bar, two public safety sources with knowledge of the events said.

Normally, such a complaint would trigger a formal inquiry and possibly an internal affairs investigation, strictly following the chain of command, the sources said.

Instead, in the days after the Jan. 26 crash, deputies were ordered to report to the sheriff’s Lost Hills station and told that if they came clean and deleted the photos, they would not face any discipline, said the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the events.

The sources said they were concerned the directive to delete the photos could amount to the destruction of evidence.

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