Death in Custody

The family of Javier Ambler, a Black man who died in the custody of Williamson County, Texas, sheriff’s deputies in 2019 sued the county, alleging its officers were encouraged to “perform their jobs recklessly to produce more ‘entertaining’ video” for a since-canceled reality television program called Live PD. Body camera footage showed that as officers restrained him, Ambler repeatedly told them: “I can’t breathe.”

AUSTIN, Texas — The family of Javier Ambler, a Black man who died in the custody of Williamson County, Texas, sheriff’s deputies in 2019 sued the county, alleging its officers were encouraged to “perform their jobs recklessly to produce more ‘entertaining’ video” for a since-canceled reality television program called “Live PD.” Body-camera footage showed that as officers restrained him, Ambler repeatedly told them: “I can’t breathe.”

Categories / Civil Rights, Entertainment, Government

Subscribe to our free newsletters

Our weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.