LA County official apologizes to Vanessa Bryant in federal court

FOX News correspondent Jeff Paul joins 'Special Report' with the latest from Los Angeles.

A chief with the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department apologized to Vanessa Bryant and Christopher Chester from the witness box Tuesday for the way the office handled a complaint that gruesome photos of their loved one's remains were shared at a bar, according to a report.

Vanessa Bryant's husband, NBA star Kobe Bryant, their daughter Gianna, 13, Christopher Chester's wife, Sarah Chester, their daughter, Payton, also, 13, along with five others perished in the collision in Calabasas, California, Jan. 26, 2020. 

Vanessa Bryant and Christopher Chester sued Los Angeles County for invasion of privacy over the photos, and the civil trial is currently underway in U.S. District Court. 

Chief Jorge Valdez said he learned for the first time during questioning Tuesday that no one from Los Angeles County ever apologized to Christopher Chester for the breach, Law & Crime reported.

VANESSA BRYANT SOBS AND WALKS OUT OF LOS ANGELES COURTROOM AS WITNESS TESTIFIES

Vanessa and Kobe Bryant arrive at the Oscars in Los Angeles, March 4, 2018. Vanessa is suing Los Angeles County over photos deputies shared of her husband's remains after he died in a 2020 helicopter crash. (Richard Shotwell/Invision/AP, File)

He then looked directly at Chester and Vanessa Bryant, who were seated side by side at the plaintiff's table and offered his "utmost condolences."

"Can you think of one single reason why you couldn’t have driven down to Orange County and looked him in the eye and apologized?" asked Chester's attorney, Jerry Jackson.

GRISLY PHOTOS OF KOBE BRYANT'S REMAINS SHARED FOR ‘GOSSIP’: LAWYERS

"No, sir," replied Valdez, who was tasked with fielding