WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas – Commissioners in Williamson County voted on Tuesday to end their contract with “Live PD.”
- Show will stop filming in 30 days
- District Attorney looking to obtain case footage
- County previously voted to keep contract
The vote was unanimous and the show will have 30 days to terminate all shooting within the county.
This comes as the county district attorney is still fighting to obtain footage of certain cases that were filmed on the show.
The contract between the county and Big Fish Entertainment, the company that produces the show, had a provision that allowed them to destroy any footage recorded for the show 30 days. County District Attorney Shawn Dick said that footage is necessary as evidence for felony cases featured on the show.
"I needed to make sure that we got copies of the video, the unaired video and the witnesses that were on scene," Dick said. "That's been a struggle that we've been working on for a while."
Residents that commented during the public meeting were concerned with the behavior of deputies both on and off screen, specifically Commander Steve Deaton, a deputy previously in hot water for inappropriate sexual comments made about a "Live PD" producer. Critics that commented brought up what they called offensive Facebook posts featuring an elf doll performing violent and sexual acts against women and people of color.
Dawn Korman called for the end of the contract as well as the firing of Deaton and consequences for other officials who liked the posts, including Sheriff Robert Chody and Williamson County Judge Bill Gravell.
"We don't need people in leadership that make those kind of decisions," she said. "Whether it's an active decision to do something or whether through their inaction speaks volumes. They need to go."
The county had voted to keep the contract back in May after there were safety concerns about camera crews following deputies.
At the time, Sheriff Chody defended the show, saying it provided transparency with the community and allowed viewers to connect with the people behind the scenes.
The county will still have to fight with Big Fish Entertainment to obtain footage from past felony arrests featured on the show. Judge Gravell said the commissioners court will also look into the county's social media policy in light of Commander Deaton's posts.
Big Fish Entertainment reacted to the news with a statement:
“It is disappointing that Live PD became embroiled in an issue of Williamson County politics, especially with our last scheduled appearance there already slated for this weekend. We thank the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the community for their participation and wish everyone of Williamson County the best, as we shift our attention to the many other agencies around the country asking to work with Live PD.”
Spectrum News has reached out to the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office for a statement but they have yet to respond to our request.