Sheriff & DA Arrested for Destroying Video of police officers Killing man on ‘stay PD’ Over vibrant Headlights

 

Javier Ambler, a forty-yr-antique postal worker, became on his way home from a friendly poker sport whilst he allegedly made the mistake of failing to show off his brights while passing another car. This is something all people who are reading this newsletter have in all likelihood carried out sooner or later in their existence. However, because Ambler drove past a Williamson County sheriff’s deputy, an hour later, he’d be lifeless.

Ambler has killed closing yr and investigators with the Williamson County sheriff’s branch investigated themselves and determined that the deputies did no longer violate the enterprise’s pursuit of use-of-pressure policies. This becomes no matter the fact that Ambler’s loss of life turned into dominated a murder.

Now, we may also have some perception of why all of the officials have been cleared. A Williamson County grand jury has indicted Sheriff Robert Chody for legal evidence tampering in Ambler’s dying. In line with courtroom documents, Chody is accused of destroying video recordings and audio recordings inside the research into Ambler’s death “with the purpose to impair their availability as evidence within the investigation, “KVUE reports.

Chody became booked into the Williamson County prison on Monday and launched quickly after on a $10,000 bail. Including to the conspiratorial nature of the case is the fact that Jason Nassour, the lawyer for Williamson County, become also booked at the same price for allegedly tampering with the same evidence.

Because the PBWW website reported earlier this yr, live PD reportedly destroyed all photos of Ambler’s dying on the arms of police. The indictments stem from an independent investigation released by way of media with the KVUE Defenders and the Austin American-Statesman jointly after they both confirmed in June that the photos turned into destroyed.

Jeff Edwards of the Edwards law group, who is representing the Ambler circle of relatives, launched the subsequent assertion Monday nighttime regarding the fees:

“nowadays, we learned that a motive for the gradual tempo of justice, in this example, is that Sheriff Chody allegedly acted to wreck video evidence of Mr. Ambler’s death. It appears the sheriff turned into more interested by being a part of a truth tv software and imparting entertaining video content material than protect the lives of the Black citizens he changed into sworn to guard. If authentic, such shameful behavior by using a law enforcement leader is placing proof that there desires to be a sweeping, systemic overhaul of our machine of policing.”

As we suggested at the time, Ambler’s ultimate moments alive were captured on police body digicam pictures as well as photos from the group from A&E’s truth display “stay PD.” He by no means resisted posed a risk to law enforcement officials or attempted to attack them, but he was thrown to the floor, again and again, tasered, and the air squeezed from his frame until he fell subconscious and died.

The incident started out as Deputy J.J. Johnson, who is frequently featured on “Live PD,” surpassed Ambler and allegedly saw him fail to dim his brights. So, the deputy targeted Ambler for extortion and the next homicide.

For unknown motives — possibly because of the reality that he becomes scared of what the police may do, or did now not need to be extorted — Ambler did not prevent. He led police on a chase for over 20 mins. The police officers stayed behind him because it's far in their task description to extort, kidnap, and on this example, kill people over failing to show down your brights when passing every other automobile.

The chase got here to an give up whilst Ambler crashed his vehicle.

As the Statesman reviews:

Johnson, who had no backup at the time, drew his gun and ordered Ambler to get out of his automobile, enhance his hands and get on the floor. Ambler, a 400-pound former football participant, got out and showed his hands. Johnson, who is black and about half Ambler’s length, holstered his gun and pulled out his Taser.

“Get down!” Johnson repeated several instances.

When Ambler seemed to turn toward his car door, Johnson used his Taser, in line with an internal investigative record the Statesman obtained beneath the Texas Public facts Act. Ambler fell on one knee, rolled onto his back and stomach, and acted as though he turned into trying to stand.

Moments later, more than one officer is pushing down on the man’s body as he begs them to stop, telling them he had congestive heart failure.

“I have congestive heart failure,” Ambler says. “I have congestive heart failure. I'm able to’t breath.”

In spite of the person posing no hazard by any means, cops keep to yell stop resisting as Ambler repeats, “I'm able to’t breathe,” every time getting softer because the breath leaves his lungs.

“I'm now not resisting,” Ambler cries. “Sir, I will breathe. … Please. … Please.”

Deputies, surely blind to the reality that Ambler is unable to position his fingers behind his lower back due to his size and fitness situation, keep yelling at him to accomplish that while delivering more taser moves to 400 lb former soccer participant.

“store me,” Ambler cries.

“Do what we’re asking you to do!” a deputy yells.

“I can’t,” Ambler says, those would be his remaining words, just before an officer tasers him for the fourth time.

After the taser, Ambler is going absolutely unconscious. Regardless of now not shifting, the officers nonetheless yell at him to “get your fingers in the back of your returned and forestall resisting.”

After cuffing the subconscious guy, they recognize he stopped breathing, turned into the subconscious, and had no pulse. Moments later, he’d be stated dead.

As the Statesman reports, a death-in-custody document filed with the Texas lawyer well-known office — a technique required whenever someone dies in police custody — said Ambler did not attempt to, nor did he assault deputies; he did not verbally threaten others nor attempt to get control of any officials’ guns.

Basically, the entire software and escalation of pressure have been pointless.

We can in no way know why Ambler didn’t forestall that night time, but he had committed a no different crime. The maximum extreme rate he could’ve confronted could’ve been failing to stop for police. And he died for it.

This guy becomes pursued, pulled out of his automobile, thrown to the floor, again and again, shocked, and the air squeezed from his lungs till he died due to the fact he allegedly didn't dim his headlights.

“it's miles of very serious issue to many people who're in law enforcement that the choice to engage in that chase changed into driven via extra of a need to offer entertainment than to preserve Williamson County citizens secure,” said Travis County District legal professional Margaret Moore.

Certainly. It appears that Johnson initiated a risky and lethal chase over something as petty as flashing one’s brights, all so he should make the manufacturers glad at stay PD, who constantly positioned him on the air.

Possibly there's something within the live PD video that suggests police in no way should have pursued Ambler in the first location, and perhaps, this is why it was destroyed. Now, however, it's far there a phrase in opposition to Ambler’s property. Above are the full police body camera pictures from that night's time.