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Eddie Zvanich Special article for the press
AUSTIN — Former Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and former Assistant County Attorney Jason Nasore will go before a jury to answer charges related to tampering with evidence in the 2019 death of Javier Ambler II.
The two will be tried together by Judge Karen Sage of the 299th Travis County District Court. Jury selection begins Aug. 12, and the trial is scheduled to begin the next day.
At a 2020 press conference, Chody described the charges as a “total breakdown of the criminal justice system.” The indictment came just about a month before Mr. Chody lost his bid for re-election to Sheriff Mike Gleason.
Both Mr. Chody and Mr. Nasr have pleaded not guilty to charges of tampering with physical evidence and conspiracy evidence related to the footage of Mr. Ambler’s death in custody.
Former sheriff’s deputies James Johnson and Zachary Camden were found not guilty after the coroner said their use of force played a role in Ambler’s death.
He was charged with manslaughter earlier this month.
The former deputies attempted to make a traffic stop for failing to dim their headlights. Instead, Ambler led officers on a 20-minute chase that ended with him crashing his car north of Austin. Officers used a Taser while attempting to restrain Ambler. Ambler, who had a heart condition among other health issues, died at the scene after telling officers he couldn’t breathe.
At the time of Ambler’s death, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office had a contract with the now-defunct A&E reality show “Live PD.” Production staff were also on board with Camden and Johnson, and evidence from Austin police body cameras shows that a television crew filmed the interaction between Ambler and the officers.
Video of the incident was never shown on television, and A&E producers revealed the footage had been destroyed. Mr. Chody and Mr. Nasr are accused of taking part in destroying the footage, which prosecutors say should have been documented as evidence in an investigation into the officers’ actions.
Following Ambler’s death, Governor Greg Abbott signed the Javier Ambler Act in 2021, prohibiting Texas law enforcement agencies from allowing reality TV to film while on duty.

tamper with physical things
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