Texas dad wins millions for son's arrest that was 'staged' for police TV show

A Texas father has won millions of dollars in a settlement with county officials over his son's arrest that he argued was staged for a police television show.

The Williamson County Sheriff's Office agreed Tuesday to pay Gary Watsky $2.5million for the SWAT raid at his Cedar Park home in May 2019, when deputies took his son, Asher, into custody, according to Variety.

The settlement was approved four to one by county officials without a public discussion.

Watsky claimed in a lawsuit against the county, former Sheriff Robert Chody, former lieutenant Mark Luera and former commander Steve Deaton among other deputies, that officers barged into his front and back doors and deployed a nonlethal explosive grenade for the formerly canceled show Live PD.

He and his attorney argue the arrest should have come earlier in the day, when Asher was in court on separate charges.

The brutal arrest began with with detective Mark Luera bouncing on the back of an armored vehicle and deadpanning to a camera about how dangerous Asher was.

But nothing the detective told the TV show was supported by court documents or publicly-available law enforcement records, according to the Austin American Statesman. 

The first deputy to arrive on the scene swung a battering into the wooden front door, and the second ignited a smoke bomb on the front steps as five SWAT officers screamed, 'Arrest warrant! Arrest warrant! Move inside!'

Meanwhile, inside the home, the Watskys had just placed an order for Chinese food, and Asher was in the bathroom when he heard a crash.

At first, he thought his father had fallen, while Gary recalled barely having time to look up before 'every room in the house was covered with people in assault gear.'

Within a matter of minutes, Asher was slammed against the wall and handcuffed for allegedly hitting his roommate with a shovel.

He said he had no idea he was wanted on separate assault charges until the deputies burst into the house and dragged him out in handcuffs. 

Gary was also held at gunpoint and brought outside, where he claimed he saw a cameraman and was informed that the proceedings were filmed for Live PD.

But Brad Vison, Watsky's attorney, said Asher should have been arrested for the chares when he showed up to court earlier in the day.

'We talked to witnesses who were a part of the court staff and they were able to say that the warrant wasn't in the system,' he told Fox 7. 

'It was removed from their view, meaning that it was active at some point before and then it was no longer active.'

He said he believes Sheriff Chody 'orchestrated' the arrest for the show and that someone hid the arrest warrant when Asher was in court - so that it could be taped later.

The lawsuit claimed Chody and his deputies 'saw themselves as actors for entertainment on this television series.

'Various deputies basked in the limelight of the accolades in the limelight of the accolades that came with the fame and status of aspiring celebrities,' the suit alleged, according to Variety, which created motivation to heighten the drama for the show.

It also claimed that Chody would tweet out invitations to view the latest Live PD episode at a local movie theater. 

Gary was injured during the arrest, and suffered a panic attack as he was humiliated in front of his neighbors, according to KXAN.

His son also continues to suffer psychological damage and PTSD and their house suffered more than $5,000 in damages, according to Vinson.

But Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said officials claimed that Asher was being arrested on a violent felony warrant and was considered a 'high risk suspect' based on an internal sheriff's department risk assessment matrix.

They insisted that deploying a SWAT team to arrest him in a quiet neighborhood was not only prudent, but also necessary.

However, three former investigators told the Statesman that as recently as six months prior, sheriff's department leaders pressured them to draw up their arrest warrants for Live PD production.

'They would come back there quite often and say they wanted a juicy warrant that would look good on TV,' former detective Casey Daley told the outlet. 

Williamson County officials later sought to cancel its contract with Live PD months later, following complaints about its effects on law enforcement and amid fears the show would lead to higher insurance premiums.

They claimed Chody continued to permit filming behind the county's back, and county officials sued him in 2020 to seek a court declaration that the contract was canceled.

'Blinded by the TV lights, Sheriff Chody has lost sight of his core duties as Sheriff of Williamson County,' attorneys argued at the time, according to Variety.

'His job is sheriff, not TV producer, reality TV star or show business agent.'

The settlement is believed to be the second-highest settlement in county history, according to KVUE.

'Anytime you see a settlement like this on a case, I think it sends a message that no one is above the law, including the law itself, right?' Vison said.

'It sends a message that we all need to be held accountable for our actions and that's what happened with this settlement.' 

'No amount of money will ever repair, I believe, the injustice that occurred here,' he added to Fox 7.

'The civil wrong that occurred here at the hands of Robert Chody and his connections with Live PD, but my client is satisfied at this point.'