Williamson County Pays $2.5 Million After Deputies Staged SWAT Raid for 'Live PD'

In 2019, Gary Watsky's son Asher appeared at the Williamson County Courthouse for a scheduled hearing. According to the lawsuit, the arrest warrant tied to separate charges against Asher was pulled from the court system that morning, so deputies could avoid arresting him in the courthouse hallway. A few hours later, a very different scene unfolded at the family's Cedar Park home.

Two military-style vehicles rolled up the residential street. Officers in flak vests and carrying assault rifles breached the front and back doors. A non-lethal explosive grenade was deployed inside. Occupants were held at gunpoint. A cameraman from A&E's 'Live PD' was embedded with the team, capturing the entire operation for broadcast. The episode aired on the network, and Watsky later described suffering a panic attack and public embarrassment when neighbors watched it unfold in real time.

Watsky sued Williamson County, former Sheriff Robert Chody, former Lieutenant Mark Luera, former Commander Steve Deaton, and several deputies, alleging civil rights violations including an unlawful, staged use of force. The federal case was filed in the Western District of Texas as No. 1:2021-cv-00374. Brad Vinson of Smith and Vinson represented the plaintiff throughout the litigation.

The case moved through federal court for three years. A prior ruling addressed a civil conspiracy claim favorably for the plaintiff. The county was already under scrutiny over its 'Live PD' relationship: the Javier Ambler wrongful death case, involving a 2019 traffic stop filmed by the same production crew, settled separately for $5 million, and former Sheriff Chody faced criminal charges for evidence tampering related to destroyed 'Live PD' footage.

In October 2024, Williamson County agreed to pay $2.5 million to resolve the Watsky suit. The settlement was announced October 17, 2024 and reported by FOX 7 Austin, KXAN, Spectrum News, Newsweek, and Bloomberg Law.