US: Texas county drops suit against sheriff over filming patrols

 County commissioners in Texas have decided to drop ir lawsuit against outgoing sheriff for inviting A&E Network’s real-time police show “Live PD” to continue filming daily patrols even after county ended contract last year.

county commission, whose formal name is Williamson County Commissioners Court, voted unanimously to end lawsuit it filed in May against Sheriff Robert Chody on Tuesday, Austin American-Statesman reported.

At advice of county lawyers and because Chody agreed to a cease-and-desist order that blocks him from signing with show, commissioners decided to drop suit, Commissioner Terry Cook said.

Chody did t respond immediately to newspaper’s request for comment on Wednesday.

But Chody has said that he was disappointed with commissioners’ vote to cut ties with show, and that county has benefited from show through recruitment, community engment and transparency.

Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick and some defense attorneys had criticized contract that gave Big Fish Entertainment, which produced “Live PD,'' rights to all video and allowed company to destroy foot — potential evidence — within 30 days.

Chody, a Republican, ran for reelection but lost on v. 3 to Democrat Mike Gleason, who will become county sheriff in January.

reality show was canceled in June just days after newspaper reported that show filmed Javier Ambler’s 2019 death while in custody. Ambler, a 40-year-old Black man, was pulled over for allegedly failing to dim his headlights to oncoming traffic.

A&E has said foot never aired because of a policy against showing a fatality, and that it did t keep video.

Body camera foot obtained by newspaper shows deputies repeatedly using stun guns on Ambler, despite his pleas that he was sick and couldn’t brea.

In September, a grand jury indicted Chody on charges of destroying or concealing recordings “with intent to impair ir ability as evidence in investigation” into Ambler’s death. Chody has since denied those allegations.