AUSTIN, Texas — Zach Camden and J.J. Johnson, the two former Williamson County deputies accused in the death of Javier Ambler, were acquitted by a Travis County jury Thursday night.
Johnson and Camden were charged with manslaughter in connection to Ambler's death, which occurred in March 2019 after a Taser was used on him repeatedly during an arrest. Video showed the former deputies using Tasers on Ambler multiple times as he shouted that he could not breathe and had a heart condition.
The KVUE Defenders first uncovered details of Ambler's death nearly four years ago.
Body camera video showed the clash between Ambler and the Williamson County deputies. The deputies had chased Ambler for 22 minutes into Austin in a pursuit that started because Ambler failed to dim his headlights – all while the show "Live PD" filmed.
This case also led to the indictments of then-Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody and Assistant County Attorney Jason Nassour. They were accused of participating in the destruction of the “Live PD” footage that showed Ambler's death. Their cases are still pending in Travis County.
Travis County District Attorney José Garza released a statement shortly after Thursday's ruling:
“Our hearts continue to break for the family of Javier Ambler. We hoped that the outcome of this trial would bring justice and closure to the family. We are grateful to our community members who served on the jury for this case, respect their decision and thank them for their service.”