Mr. Dick dismissed Mr. Chody’s accusation that the indictment was timed to influence the election. “There have been other elected officials who have been indicted as well that’s still serving,” he said. Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody was booked Monday into his jail on a $10,000 bond and released a short time later. In the past year, the sheriff's office has been scrutinized for its use-of-force practices, its contract with the reality show "Live PD" and the death of a 40-year-old Black man in deputies' custody.. To reshape the department, … In addition to video from officers’ body cameras, Ambler’s March 2019 killing was filmed after Williamson County sheriff’s deputies, accompanied by a Live PD … The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is charged with providing public safety services to the residents of Williamson County. Mr. Ambler was transported to Dell Seton Medical Center in Austin and pronounced dead just after 2:30 a.m. Shawn Dick, the district attorney in Williamson County, said on Monday that the grand jury there heard from 19 witnesses before returning with their decision to indict the sheriff and Mr. Nassour. Representatives of “Live PD” told The Austin American-Statesman in June that no law enforcement agency had asked for its footage of the death, which was never broadcast. In addition to enforcing the law, the Sheriff’s Office also keeps order in the District and County courts and actively promotes programs aimed at crime prevention and drug education. Joe Turner, a lawyer for Mr. Nassour, told The American-Statesman on Monday that his client “is the most ethical attorney around.”, Texas Sheriff Faces Evidence-Tampering Charge in Black Man’s Death. He is running for re-election in November. A spokesman for Big Fish, the production company for “Live PD,” declined to comment. The motorist, Javier Ambler, 40, died in late March 2019 shortly after an encounter that was captured on at least two video recordings. Sign our Petition to Bring Back Live PD!! “Those videos show completely what happened,” Mr. Morris said. Margaret Moore, the district attorney in Travis County, said a grand jury would be empaneled there next month to look into the death of Mr. Ambler as well as possible evidence tampering there, too. Javier Ambler's March 2019 fatal arrest was captured by film crews for the now-canceled A&E TV show "Live PD." Over the last year, the District Attorney’s Office has been fighting with Williamson County Sheriff’s Office to have Live PD video footage related to Javier Ambler’s death released. “You just can’t let that dictate your timetable.”. “I can’t breathe.” As he and the deputies struggle, Mr. Ambler says, “Save me.” One deputy yells, “Do what we’re asking you to do.”. Jeff Edwards, a lawyer for Mr. Ambler’s family, said that if the charge against the sheriff is true, “such shameful behavior by a law enforcement leader is striking evidence that there needs to be a sweeping, systemic overhaul of our system of policing.”. A Williamson County grand jury is considering evidence tampering charges against Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody, a crew from the … In the early hours of March 28, 2019, deputies in Williamson County tried to stop Mr. Ambler because the vehicle he was driving did not dim its lights to oncoming traffic, officials said. “The first order of business will be the presentation of evidence regarding the tampering case that has now been indicted here in Williamson,” she said at a news conference accompanying Mr. Dick. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. Mr. Chody, who was released on bond on Monday, accused the prosecutors of pursuing him for political reasons and to cover up their own actions in investigating Mr. Ambler’s death. He said his office was notified of Mr. Ambler’s death in May. At his news conference, Mr. Chody declined to say whether his deputies acted appropriately the night they stopped and tased Mr. Ambler, citing the ongoing litigation. Williamson County Sheriff's Office. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it. “There is no right answer because do you either hold onto this information through an election or do you do it before an election?” he said. Williamson County, Texas 508 S. Rock St. Georgetown, Tx 78626 Phone:(512) 943-1300 Non-Emergency:(512) 864-8282 Fax:(512) 943-1444 Driving Directions. They said that after the Sheriff’s Office said it had concluded its internal investigation, the show destroyed that video as a matter of routine. Mike Gleason Sheriff Williamson County, Texas The lawsuit claims the sheriff "secretly and illegally" re-contracted with the show after the court terminated their agreement in August. Live PD – Desert Pursuit and Pit Maneuver. The third-degree felony charge is punishable by up to 10 years in prison. When newly elected Williamson County Sheriff Mike Gleason took office this month, he was taking over a department steeped in controversy. A Texas sheriff was arrested on Monday on a charge of tampering with evidence — video from the crew of a police ride-along TV program — in the death of a Black motorist whom deputies had repeatedly shot with a Taser as he appealed that he had heart disease and could not breathe. “There is nothing that was on those ‘Live PD’ videos that could in any way alter the outcome of this case.”. For less than a year, "Live PD" had been following Williamson County deputies as they arrested drunk drivers and suited up in tactical gear to serve arrest … The program features live video feeds from multiple law enforcement agencies throughout the United States. Officer Morgan Colla with the Lafayette Police Department responded to a call reporting shots fired in a neighborhood. The Sheriff’s Office patrols the county investigates crimes, maintains the County Jail, and provides other support services such as criminal records, crime victim assistance, traffic control, and animal control. By: Caleb Akpan. The Williamson County Commissioners Court votes 4-0 to send a cease-and-desist letter to "Live PD" and its affiliates after the sheriff's office allowed a … Williamson County, Tex., Sheriff Robert Chody (R) had defended his agency's involvement in "Live PD," which he said helped with recruitment and visibility. When Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody needed a star to represent his department on the reality show “Live PD,” he found one in a tough-talking deputy he hired months before. In April 2020, Sheriff Chody announced on Twitter that that "Live PD" was back in Williamson County. But he did say he would remain in his position as he fought the charge. He accused Mr. Dick of zealously prosecuting a complaint about one of Mr. Chody’s lawn signs that a campaign volunteer had mistakenly planted on the lawn of a nonsupporter. “Live PD” crews accompanied both Williamson County deputies and filmed the incident. Williamson County commissioners have approved dropping their lawsuit against Sheriff Robert Chody in connection with a contract he made with the "Live PD" … The first was from a body camera worn by a Williamson County sheriff’s deputy, which surfaced in June. She finds a man who sustained... Richland County Sheriff's Department Deputies engage in a high-speed car chase with three men who robbed a bank. WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — The Williamson County Commissioners Court officially filed a lawsuit against Sheriff Robert Chody on Tuesday after they say he continued to allow "Live PD" producers to film in the county even though the court voted to … In June, his office and Ms. Moore’s office began a joint investigation, he said. “This was not my first run-in with District Attorney Shawn Dick,” Mr. Chody said at a news conference on Monday. Kin Man Hui/The San Antonio Express-News, via Associated Press. We provide you with the latest breaking news and videos, plus details about past episodes. Under the “Live PD” access agreement with the county, however, producers own all the footage and could destroy it in 30 days. “I have congestive heart failure,” Mr. Ambler says on the body camera video. Williamson County Sheriff responds to Live PD controversy. Mr. Chody said the timing of the charge against him was meant to derail his effort to win re-election in November. Prosecutors have said that footage likely offered the clearest perspective of the encounter. Mr. Chody’s lawyer, Gerry Morris, said the video from the reality show was not needed, because other recordings of the encounter exist. Robert Chody organizing at the state Capitol in Austin, Texas, for Police Lives Matter in 2015, a year before he was elected Williamson County sheriff. He declined to share many details of the case, but told reporters, “As you can tell by the indictment, what we’re after are video and audio recordings, obviously based out of the television show ‘Live PD.’”. Posted at 8:00 PM, Jun 10, 2020 . Williamson County Sheriff’s Office Live PD – 08.02.19 The Williamson County Sheriff’s Office is charged with providing public safety services to the residents of Williamson County. When the men jump out of... © LivePD.org is the fan's guide to LivePD. The other recording was made by the reality television show “Live PD,” whose crew was accompanying the deputies. The video from the TV show “would be wholly material to the investigation” her office is conducting, she said. The Williamson County sheriff’s office has been under fire for its aggressive policing tactics since at least June, when the Statesman revealed details of Ambler’s death. There were multiple recordings from cameras on the deputies, in their vehicles, plus a television helicopter that recorded the chase, he said. Robert Chody, the sheriff in Williamson County, is accused of tampering with a video of a fatal 2019 traffic stop made by the crew of a police ride-along program. Overview. That video has never been seen publicly. and last updated 2020-06-10 21:00:06-04. The first was from a body camera worn by a Williamson County sheriff’s deputy, which surfaced in June. “We didn’t choose this timing,” Mr. Dick said at his news conference. There, deputies used a Taser on Mr. Ambler several times. The sheriff, Robert Chody, and a Williamson County assistant attorney, Jason Nassour, are accused of tampering with, or destroying, recordings from that encounter, officials said on Monday. Live PD is hosted by Dan Abrams, the chief legal affairs anchor for ABC News. Williamson County Sheriff's Office. After deputies tried to pull Mr. Ambler over, he kept driving for more than 20 minutes and crashed his vehicle in downtown Austin, which is in neighboring Travis County. They were indicted on a third-degree felony charge that carries up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $10,000, officials said. WILLIAMSON COUNTY (Talk1370.com) -- The door has been slammed shut on Williamson County's participation in the A&E reality series "Live PD" once again. A booking photo provided by the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office of Sheriff Robert Chody, who was released on bond later Monday. 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