WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody was indicted by a grand jury Monday on a charge of tampering/fabricating physical evidence with intent to impair, court records show.
Williamson County Attorney Jason Nassour was indicted on the same charge.
The indictment stems from an investigation into the death of Javier Ambler in March 2019.
An investigation by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE, the Austin ABC television affiliate, revealed that the crew for the since-canceled Live PD reality televison show was rolling when 40-year-old Ambler, who was Black, died in the custody of Williamson County Sheriff’s Office deputies.
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Deputies had deployed a Taser on Ambler.
The Live PD footage never surfaced, but body cam footage shows that during the arrest Ambler pleaded that he was sick and couldn’t breathe. Deputies maintained that he failed to follow orders.
Following a chase and arrest, Ambler died.
Live PD stated that unaired footage of the arrest was destroyed.
Court records show that Chody was booked into Williamson County Jail in Georgetown. His bail was set at $10,000.
Chody, who is up for reelection in November, has since posted bail and held his own press conference with his lawyer. He said his indictment is politically motivated.
“We’re now one month from election and the DA is just now acting on a case that is nearly two years old. The facts are very clean, and let me be very clear, I did not tamper with evidence," Chody said.