The trial for a former Williamson County sheriff and a current county employee accused of hiding — and eventually destroying — evidence connected to the in-custody death of Javier Ambler started Tuesday.
Former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and Jason Nassour, who serves as general counsel for the county, each face two felony evidence tampering charges.
Ambler, a 40-year-old Black man from Pflugerville, died in deputies' custody in March 2019 after being pursued by law enforcement for allegedly failing to dim his headlights to oncoming traffic.
Chody and Nassour are accused of helping to hide and destroy footage of Ambler's death that was captured for the reality television show "Live PD," which had a contract with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office at the time. The incident prompted state lawmakers to ban Texas law enforcement from entering contracts with reality television shows in 2021.
Earlier this year, a jury acquitted two former Williamson County Sheriff’s deputies of manslaughter charges in connection with Ambler's death.
In 2021, Williamson County agreed to settle a $5 million wrongful death lawsuit filed by Ambler's family.
