WILLIAMSON COUNTY, Texas — Williamson County commissioners have agreed to settle a case for $2.5 million with a man whose arrest was believed to have been staged for the reality TV show “Live PD” when deputies could have quietly arrested him hours earlier.
The KVUE Defenders first revealed the case involving Asher Watsky in 2020 as part of ongoing coverage involving the relationship between the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office and the popular show, which has since been cancelled.
Watsky and his attorney claimed that the sheriff’s office staged the arrest – which involved the use of a SWAT team and flash-bangs to enter Watsky's Cedar Park home – on an assault charge stemming from a fight with his roommate. Hours earlier, he had been at the Williamson County courthouse for a hearing in another case, but Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said at the time that he confirmed with sheriff’s officials that they withdrew a warrant from a database so that deputies would not arrest him then.
County commissioners made the decision at their regular meeting Tuesday with no public discussion.
“We hope this outcome not only brings some measure of closure to our client but also encourages a renewed commitment to transparency, accountability and respect for constitutional rights across law enforcement,” said attorney Brad Vinson, who represents Watsky.
The amount is believed to be the second-highest settlement in county history, behind $5 million the county paid to the family of Javier Ambler II. Ambler died in 2019 after a violent confrontation in Austin following a chase with sheriff’s deputies who used Tasers on him while "Live PD" filmed.
A Travis County jury found the two deputies not guilty. Former Sheriff Robert Chody and assistant county attorney Jason Nassour face charges of evidence tampering after prosecutors said they took steps to ensure the show’s production company destroyed the footage. They deny any wrongdoing, and a trial in the case was abruptly halted earlier this year amid a dispute over what evidence could be allowed in court. A higher court is considering the matter.
The county faced a flurry of lawsuits from Chody’s four-year term, and officials said the resolution of Watsky’s case leaves all but one such cases resolved.