Rally For Justice Slated For Man Who Died After WilCo Arrest

WILLIAMSON COUNTY, TX — A rally calling for justice in the case of Javier Ambler, who died after being detained by Williamson County Sheriff's Office deputies, is scheduled this week in Georgetown.

The "Pushing for Justice Caravan" is scheduled Friday from 1 -3 p.m. at San Gabriel Park, near the Show Barn parking lot, in Georgetown, Texas, according to event organizers. Organized by friends and family of the late Pflugerville resident, the event will be attended by state Rep. Celia Israel representing House District 50; House District 53 Rep. James Talarico; House District 136 Rep. John H Bucy III; Pflugerville City Council member Rudy Metayer; and Ambler’s sister, Kimberly Ambler-Jones.

Voter registration and car decorating will follow the rally, with the caravan scheduled to start at 2 p.m. While some supplies will be available, organizers encourage people to arrive with their own supplies and masks. Participants also are asked to follow all social distancing measures. Anyone desiring to volunteer for the caravan event can reach out to justiceforjavierambler@gmail.com.

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The event comes two weeks after Travis County District Attorney Margaret Moore announced she would not bring the case before a grand jury this month as she had previously stated. Instead, Moore opted to leave the matter to her successor after losing an unsuccessful bid to retain her seat to José Garza, now slated to face the Republican district attorney candidate, Martin Harry, in November.

Details of the March 2019 death came to light in June after the Austin American-Statesman and its news partner KVUE obtained footage of Ambler's arrest after repeated requests. Graphic police bodycam video was released showing the last moments of the 40-year-old father of two pleading with officers in altering of his inability to breathe while in detention.

Courtesy image.

The case reignited controversy over the Williamson County Sheriff's Office's former ties with the now-canceled cable reality show "Live PD" that had its cameras rolling in capturing the action. The show's producers trained their cameras on the action as police pursued Ambler on March 28, 2019, after he failed to dim the headlights of his SUV as he drove home from a friendly poker game, according to media reports.

Ambler initially failed to pull over, sparking a 22-minute pursuit that ended when Ambler's Honda Pilot crashed north of downtown Austin, according to the report. Records obtained by KVUE and the Statesman show that deputies employed Taser stun guns on Ambler at least three times, even as he told them multiple times of his heart condition and inability to breathe. Ambler would die about an hour later.

“Something needs to change," Ambler-Jones said in a prepared statement. "We need to hold the deputies, the sheriff, and the sheriff’s department accountable. For anyone to have their life stolen like this by those sworn to protect is inexcusable.”

Williamson County Sheriff Robert Chody is up for re-election against Democratic candidate Mike Gleason in November.

“Our family, Javier’s three sons, and I continue to grieve his murder and the painful 15 months it took for us to begin receiving answers. Javier cared about many and this caravan is a demonstration of people caring for him and demanding justice,” Ambler-Jones continued. “This is not a new narrative, we see the same headlines week after week with new names of Black American’s murdered at the hands of the police - now we are demanding accountability in Williamson County to end this cycle of violence.”

Efforts to create a mural honoring Ambler's memory have been launched in the form of a GoFundMe campaign seeking to raise $8,000. See more ways to support the fight for justice.

Editor's Note: Patch is a GoFundMe promotional partner.