'Live PD' canceled; reportedly filmed police custody death - Los Angeles Times
Amid nationwide protests against police brutality, A&E has canceled one of its most-watched programs, “Live PD,” a reality show that follows police officers in cities around the country in real time.
News of the cancellation follows a report Monday by the Austin American-Statesman that a 40-year-old Black man named Javier Ambler, stopped by police in Texas for failing to dim his headlights, died in custody as a “Live PD” crew was filming last year. Footage of the encounter, during which police repeatedly used Tasers on Ambler, never aired and was later destroyed.
In a statement Wednesday, the network seemed to leave open the possibility that the show might continue in a revised format in the future.
“This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on ‘Live PD.’ Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them. And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.”
In a previous statement, the network had defended the presence of “Live PD” cameras during the deadly incident with Ambler, saying, “As with all calls we follow, we are not there to be an arm of the police or law enforcement but rather to chronicle what they do.”
