WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas (KXAN) — Two former Williamson County deputies have been charged with second degree manslaughter in the in-custody death of Javier Ambler in March 2019.
On Tuesday, a Travis County grand jury charged former deputies James Johnson and Zachary Camden, who were present at the time of Ambler’s death — which was captured on camera during a filming of crime reality show “Live P.D.,” which Williamson County Sheriff’s Office previously appeared on.
Johnson and Camden’s bail is set at $150,000 and the court has prohibited them from working with law enforcement agencies or security companies.
“With these indictments, we have taken another critical step towards justice for the Ambler family and for our community,” said Travis County DA Jose Garza. “While we can never take away the pain of the Ambler family, the grand jury has sent a clear message that no one is above the law.”
Back in October, Ambler’s family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the county, accusing Johnson and Camden of killing Ambler as he begged “I can’t breathe,” during the arrest. The incident began after the two deputies chased Ambler for over 20 minutes after he reportedly failed to dim his headlights.
Calls for justice in Ambler’s death heightened over the past year as national protests, rallies and calls for racial justice in law enforcement, sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
