Please Meet WilCo
Williamson County is just north of Austin. It’s a beautiful place and I have lots of friends there. Their Democratic county chair, Kim Gilby, is the best. For about the past 15 years, Ole Glen Maxey and I go there every election season to hold fundraiser for them just because they are such good people who are trying their damnest to flip that solid red county to a shade of blue.
Williamson County is a lot of letters, so Texans call it WilCo, like Austin is ATX and deep East Texas is Land of The Screaming Assholes.
Every now and then you’ll see comments from Texas Ellen when she’s not playing with her grandkids in the gorgeous Frio River. I’ve known Ellen for 30 years. We met online during dial-up and became friends during Glen Maxey’s first attempt at databasing voters. Ellen’s friend Elizabeth Moon (yes, the famous one) joined and and financed several of our outreach programs along with some occasional high caliber snarking right here.
Several commenters – Alan in Austin comes to mind – are in WilCo. I love those folks.
I told you all this to give you an idea why this day is important and that I share in their cheer for justice. You should, too.
Chody
A grand jury has indicted Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody on a felony evidence tampering charge in the case of Javier Ambler, a Black man who died in 2019 after being stunned with a Taser multiple times by deputies.
The grand jury accused Chody of destroying or concealing video and audio recordings “with the intent to impair their ability as evidence in the investigation,” according to the indictment. Jason Nassour, a county attorney, was also indicted on the same charge.
Black Lives Matter.
Williamson County sheriff’s deputies attempted to pull Ambler over March 28, 2019, after he failed to dim the headlights of his SUV to oncoming traffic. Twenty-eight minutes later, the 40-year-old black father of two sons lay dying on a North Austin street after deputies held him down and used Tasers on him four times while a crew from A&E’s show “Live PD” filmed.
The former postal worker repeatedly pleaded for mercy, telling deputies he had congestive heart failure and couldn’t breathe. He cried, “Save me,” before deputies deployed a final shock.
This happened a year and half ago. That’s how long justice took. The deputies were putting on a show.
Allan from Austin has volunteered to match up owners of Chody for Sheriff signs with Democrats who have wood burning fireplaces.
When your sheriff and your county attorney team up to hide justice, it takes a long time and some very determined people.
Williamson County is 80% white and 7% black so this took courage. Thanks, WilCo, for not letting it die.
Thanks to Alan in Austin for the heads up.
$10,000 bail — for a felony charge — seems pretty mild to me. I wonder how many “Live PD” episodes it takes to cover that.
Wouldn’t it have been perfect if “Live PD” had covered Chody’s arrest? I’d loop that sumbitch 24/7 somewhere online.
1In 39 years of working in and around law enforcement I have come to opine about the human quality of the elected sheriff or constable or the appointed chief of police, based on the size of the badges they wear on their uniforms, thusly,
2Some Texas Rangers own a custom made badge hammered from a Mexican 5 peso silver coin. The coin is 1-3/8 inch in diameter and the badge is not much larger. Some of the best of the best investigators I know are or were Texas Rangers.
The badge of the best sheriff I know was made the same way, worn with pride, integrity, and courage for 32 years.
The badge of the best police chief I every worked for was made by an in-town jeweler from one of the first Kennedy coins that Chief got his hands on. Chief B is and was the best man I know, including my sainted father, my sons, and my sons-in-law.
When I see a badge that’s big enough worn on the elected official’s shirt that it mostly covers the cloth space between the top of the pocket flap and shoulder seam, I think “Bozo” and “pr!ck”. I give individual officers a bye because they get the badge they are given.
Here’s a hint elected sheriffs and constables and appointed chiefs who have the option of wearing their own badges: size matters and, subtle and classy still have a place in the world. Don’t be a clownish pr!ck.
I suppose a lot of counties go by shortened names. Montgomery County in Maryland is “MoCo” and Prince George’s County has been called “PG County” forever. Anne Arundel County, however, is called Anne Arundel County. Go figure.
Anything, anywhere, that looks at policing in the country has to be considered a good thing. I’m glad that’s true in Texas, as well.
3A little off topic, but who’s the lard ass law enforcement guy I see on tv criticizing an candidate attorney for representing gang members? Gang members or not, they’re entitled to an attorney.
4Three cheers for Justice! I hope Mr. Ambler’s family also sued the socks off A&E’s “Live PD” show, as well as the Williamson County Sheriff and the deputies involved in his death.
5And yet fox had body-cam footage of Brad Parscale on their website the next day.
6Funny how that works.
I predict the trump campaign will somehow try to use it in their fight against BLM.
Tucker Carlson: Look! Cops take down white folks too!
Hannity: Look how well the cops treated him once he was subdued! Just goes to show you how well cops treat folks who cooperate!
Seems like a charge of felony tampering of evidence should only be the start. What happened to the officers that killed him for a traffic stop? Am I missing something? If not, this does not sound like justice, it sounds like a whitewash. Hopefully there’s more indictments to come for the actual killing.
7Even if it takes an extra 30 minutes I drive around Williamson County instead of taking a chance just driving through there. They have a well-deserved reputation of crooked Judges, redneck cops, planting contraband, and weapons and countless cases that have been controversial through the last few decades. Admittedly it is better than it was in the past but as the old saying goes….Fool me twice, shame on me.
8Micr, add the number of stars city chiefs wear. I have seen up to seven. Even Nimitz got only 5.
9My heart goes out to his family. I cannot imagine the pain of knowing his last words. Those words stung me.
We are better than this but keep proving we are not.
10@Harry Eagar
Too true. Imagine the legend in your own mind you must have that by wearing 5 or more stars in a pentagon shape you equate yourself to the military leaders whose names evoke corporate memories of frozen rivers, black sand, and cordite, Washington, Pershing, Grant, Sherman, and Sheridan. And during ww2, Hap Arnold, Eisenhower, McArthur, Marshall, and Bradley. Generals who became PotUS, Generals for whom an Air Society and a continent saving Plan were named. And finally the four Admirals of WW2: Leahy, Texas’ own Nimitz, King, and Halsey.
Yeah a sheriff breathes that air.
11the cruelty stuns me. Every time
12@Micr at 11,
13Washington never wore more than three stars. However since July 4, 1976 he is either the most senior six star, over Adm. Dewey and Gen. Pershing, or the only seven star. The 1976 law makes him the most senior officer of the US for all time.
@Bill F.
Yes.
14This clown has been showing up on Facebook ads for two weeks. I’m currently staying in south Austin and no idea who he was. What I found reinforced my bad thoughts about law officers. I’m gonna have to read about some good guys soon or my support for the police is gonna keep diminishing. This guy is almost as bad as that whole congressman in Louisiana, Clay Higgins. A former cop who is disgusting.
15Being senior doesn’t give you another star.
16It is indeed a shame that it can not be considered a capital crime!
17i live in Wilco and try not to engage in their politics…i’m old and have only so much energy which i use for national politics. i was stopped twice over the years for tail light being out, and i made several sarcastic comments, which they did ignore…i guess they didn’t consider a older woman in a target uniform very dangerous.
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