WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — A Texas sheriff has been charged with destroying or concealing evidence related to the death of Javier Ambler, whose demise was captured on camera by the A&E reality show “Live PD.”
Sheriff Robert Chody was booked into the Williamson County Jail on Monday and released after posting a $10,000 bond, KXAN reported.
The third-degree felony charge stems from the in-custody death of Ambler, who is Black, following a chase by law enforcement, The Hill reported.
BREAKING: Williamson County @SheriffChody has been indicted on an evidence tampering charge relating to the destruction of "Live PD" footage that showed deputies chasing and using force on Javier Ambler, a Black man who died after the incident https://t.co/bQxqWBtYK1
— Austin Statesman (@statesman) September 28, 2020
According to KXAN, the footage of the March 2019 chase that ended in Ambler’s death never aired on television and all recordings from the scene were destroyed.
The indictment alleges Chody acted to “destroy, or conceal a record, document, or thing; namely, video recordings and audio recordings, with intent to impair their availability as evidence in the investigation.”
A&E canceled “Live PD” amid nationwide protests over the death of George Floyd and racial injustice, The Hill reported.
District Attorney Shawn Dick confirmed during a Monday news conference that Chody could face two to 10 years in prison if convicted.
According to KXAN, sheriff’s deputies began pursuing Ambler the night he died for failure to dim his headlights for oncoming traffic, and the early-morning chase continued to Austin. Initial investigations indicate Ambler told officers he had a congenital heart defect prior to being shot four times with a stun gun.
Meanwhile, the Austin Police Department, which also responded to the crash scene, provided body camera footage in which Ambler can be heard saying, “I have congestive heart failure,” and “I can’t breathe,” the TV station reported.
NEW: Attorneys for Sheriff Robert Chody say videos would show that his deputies “did nothing wrong” and that Chody had no interest in concealing evidence. He also says “Live PD” video was not critical.
— Tony Plohetski (@tplohetski) September 28, 2020
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