KEY POINTS

  • The family of Javier Ambler has sued Williamson County for his death
  • Ambler was killed when police being filmed for the television show "Live PD" chased him for 20 minutes after he didn't dim his headlights, eventually pinning him and tasering him four times despite his protestations that he couldn't breathe and had a heart condition
  • The sheriff responsible has been indicted for tampering with evidence after recordings of the incident were destroyed, and former employees say he gave out gift cards for use of force

The family of Javier Ambler — a 40-year-old Black man killed in a police car chase filmed on the A&E reality show “Live PD" — filed a federal wrongful death lawsuit Sunday against Williamson County, Texas.

Police officers in March 2019 pursued Ambler for more than 20 minutes from Williamson County to Austin, Texas, after he allegedly failed to reduce his headlights. Police pinned him to the ground and tasered him four times despite his protests that he could not breathe and had a heart condition. Ambler's death was declared a homicide.

Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody, who starred on "Live PD," and former Williamson County general counsel Jason Nassour were arrested in September on evidence tampering charges.

live pd
A&E's "Live PD" cast featured (from left) Dan Abrams, Sean "Sticks" Larkin, and Tom Morris Jr. A&E

"Live PD" was canceled in June amid growing outcry against police brutality and around the time “Cops” ended its 30-year run on Paramount Network.

Benjamin Crump, one of the Ambler family’s attorneys, told the press that police chases and violent incidents had doubled in the year that Williamson County contracted with “Live PD,” an allegation that Chody disputes.

Data from the Austin American-Statesman indicates that chases and violent encounters went up 54% that year, but the rise persisted outside the weeks “Live PD” was filming.

The footage was deleted by A&E as per company policy after the initial investigation concluded, CBS News reported. The network says it was never asked for the footage.

Former officers serving under Chody told the Statesman he distributed steakhouse gift cards to officers who used force while on duty.

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