By Julie Chang and Tony Plohetski
Austin American-Statesman
Originally published Oct. 23, 2020
The kind of violence Imani Nembhard experienced in April 2019 became increasingly common in Williamson County after Sheriff Robert Chody invited the camera crews of “Live PD” to feature his department.
An American-Statesman analysis of 124 use-of-force reports shows that violent encounters between Williamson County sheriff’s deputies and civilians nearly doubled from 43 in 2017 — the year before “Live PD” joined the department — to 82 in 2019. During the weeks when the reality TV show filmed with the department, deputies used force significantly more often than during weeks when those cameras weren’t on patrol.