Texas deputies reportedly got steakhouse gift cards for using force
Williamson County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office leaders rewarded deputies who used force on the job with steakhouse gift cards, according to two former employees, one of whom made the admission to Texas Rangers investigating the agency’s aggressive tactics.
Among the deputies who received gift cards to places such as Logan’s Roadhouse were J.J. Johnson and Zach Camden, the officers involved in the March 2019 death of Javier Ambler. The Black 40-year-old father was Tased four times as he shouted that he had a heart condition and could not breathe.
Former Sgt. Troy Brogden, who resigned from the department last year, worked for the agency for 20 years, including as a supervisor overseeing major cases in the criminal investigations division, before resigning last fall. “Cmdr. Steve Deaton would talk about it in groups, including supervisors meetings and classes,” Brogden said. “I was like, ‘What the hell?’”
The agency’s alleged system of rewarding force is the latest in a string of questionable practices reported by the American-Statesman in recent months. The department has also hired multiple deputies with troubled histories, engaged in high-speed vehicle pursuits for minor traffic violations and used aggressive tactics in several incidents that are now under investigation by the Texas Rangers and the Williamson County district attorney.
Increased questions about the agency’s use of force coincided with its participation in the reality show “Live PD” much of last year. Producers canceled “Live PD” in June, two days after the Statesman revealed details of Ambler’s death and that the show had destroyed footage of the incident.
https://www.yahoo.com/news/texas-deputies-reportedly-got-steakhouse-204016245.html
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