Officers Who Leaked Rihanna Beating Photo Won't Be Charged
Two Los Angeles police officers who were accused of leaking an infamous photo of a battered and bruised Rihanna after her 2009 altercation with then boyfriend Chris Brown will not be charged, the L.A. County District Attorney said.
After a two-year investigation, not enough evidence had been gathered to effectively try the officers, who were accused of selling the photo to celebrity gossip site TMZ, the Associated Press reports.
The image of Rihanna showed her face badly bruised and her lip busted after Brown hit her repeatedly during a fight they had while in a car together just before the Grammy Awards. After being circulated by TMZ and other websites shortly after the incident, the photo galvanized public opinion against Brown in the case.
Though they won't be charged with a crime, the officers who allegedly sold the photo, Blanca Lopez and Rebecca Reyes, may still lose their jobs. Both are slated to face disciplinary panels in August.
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