Father awarded $2 million after accusing police of staging son’s arrest for a TV show (IMDb – Live PD)
A Texas father, Gary Watsky, won a $2 million lawsuit against Williamson County after claiming that the arrest of his son, Ash Watsky, was staged by police during a SWAT operation for a TV show.
In May 2019, he claimed that officers raided his house without a warrant, used stun grenades, and made the operation more dramatic for recording on the now-defunct program Live PD.
Watsky reported that he was held at gunpoint and searched in front of TV cameras while his son was assaulted and handcuffed for allegedly attacking a roommate.
He also pointed out that the arrest could have been carried out earlier when his son was in court facing other charges, raising questions about the necessity of the operation.
Following the lawsuit, the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office agreed to pay Watsky $2.5 million, with the settlement approved by county officials without public debate. Watsky’s attorney, Brad Vison, suggested a larger issue was at play, implicating former Sheriff Robert Chody, who allegedly withheld the arrest warrant so the situation could be filmed more dramatically at the Watskys’ residence.
Source: Unilad | Photo: IMDb – Live PD | This content was created with the assistance of AI and reviewed by the editorial team