So, this Police Dept. actually staged rw arrests for the TV show.
Worked out for the plaintiffs eh?
It cost the county $7.5m--so far...I note that it took 6 years of foot-dragging by the county before they caved.
variety.com
A Texas county agreed on Tuesday to pay $2.5 million to settle allegations that a SWAT team arrest was staged for the benefit of the A&E reality show “Live PD.”
Gary Watsky argued in court that deputies did not have a warrant in May 2019 when they broke down his front and back doors, deployed a “flash-bang” grenade, and swarmed his house. Watsky was held at gunpoint, according to his lawsuit, searched, and brought outside, where he saw a TV cameraman and was informed that the search was being filmed for “Live PD.”
The deputies were there to arrest Watsky’s son, Asher, who had appeared in court earlier that day on another charge. The suit alleged that Asher Watsky could easily have been taken into custody peacefully at the courthouse, but that the deputies chose to stage a dramatic and violent raid because it made for better television.
The incident, which was initially uncovered by KVUE, was one of a series of abuses stemming from the county sheriff’s relationship with “Live PD.” In March 2019, Javier Ambler died after a pursuit, when deputies repeatedly hit him with a Taser as he told them he could not breathe and had a heart condition. Two deputies were charged with manslaughter, but were acquitted at trial.
The sheriff, Robert Chody, was also indicted for allegedly covering up the incident by arranging for the “Live PD” footage to be destroyed. The county agreed to pay $5 million to Ambler’s family, the largest settlement in county history, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Chody lost his bid for re-election in 2020.
Worked out for the plaintiffs eh?
It cost the county $7.5m--so far...I note that it took 6 years of foot-dragging by the county before they caved.
‘Live PD’ Arrest Leads to $2.5 Million Payout for Civil Rights Violations
Williamson County, Tex., agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a civil rights lawsuit over an arrest filmed for the A&E series "Live PD."
variety.com
A Texas county agreed on Tuesday to pay $2.5 million to settle allegations that a SWAT team arrest was staged for the benefit of the A&E reality show “Live PD.”
Gary Watsky argued in court that deputies did not have a warrant in May 2019 when they broke down his front and back doors, deployed a “flash-bang” grenade, and swarmed his house. Watsky was held at gunpoint, according to his lawsuit, searched, and brought outside, where he saw a TV cameraman and was informed that the search was being filmed for “Live PD.”
The deputies were there to arrest Watsky’s son, Asher, who had appeared in court earlier that day on another charge. The suit alleged that Asher Watsky could easily have been taken into custody peacefully at the courthouse, but that the deputies chose to stage a dramatic and violent raid because it made for better television.
The incident, which was initially uncovered by KVUE, was one of a series of abuses stemming from the county sheriff’s relationship with “Live PD.” In March 2019, Javier Ambler died after a pursuit, when deputies repeatedly hit him with a Taser as he told them he could not breathe and had a heart condition. Two deputies were charged with manslaughter, but were acquitted at trial.
The sheriff, Robert Chody, was also indicted for allegedly covering up the incident by arranging for the “Live PD” footage to be destroyed. The county agreed to pay $5 million to Ambler’s family, the largest settlement in county history, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
Chody lost his bid for re-election in 2020.
