Posted on 02/01/2021 5:37:52 PM PST by simpson96
A man whose January 2019 arrest was broadcast live in a "humiliating fashion" on the now-defunct TV reality show “Live PD” has sued Williamson County in federal court, claiming the incident left him with physical and emotional scars and that much of what happened was staged for ratings.
The suit by Scott Phillip Lewis cited multiple practices of the Williamson County sheriff’s office and former Sheriff Robert Chody that were revealed through months of investigation by the American-Statesman.
Those included a high-profile no-knock raid on a man’s home despite a chance to peacefully arrest him, hiring deputies with troubled pasts and incentivizing them with gift cards to use force.
The suit — one of several alleging excessive force and other abuses linked to the department and the show — also claims that some of the encounter was filmed by the TVshow but that the footage was not given to his attorney, who claims it would have corroborated his account.
According to the suit, Lewis, who suffered from anxiety, was detained and performed a field sobriety test while the show filmed him. He was “detained for long periods of time to ensure camera crews of the television show, ‘Live PD,’ could arrive on the scene and record and broadcast.”
Lewis was then “transported to a different location after initially being pulled over in his vehicle to ensure a more suitable filming environment for the television show,” the suit said. “(He) was detained additional lengths of time to ensure he was broadcast on national television, and the arresting officer featured on Live PD repeatedly pointed out that during the ordeal Plaintiff urinated on himself.”
(Excerpt) Read more at statesman.com ...
I always wondered how those (very entertaining) COPS type shows were able to arrest someone on camera, face showing and everything? Maybe some had given their consent, but all of them had the presence of mind to sign their privacy away?
I would never agree to something like that.
Maybe they were paid in some manner.
He has more patience than I would have.
I don’t blame him. I want to be arrested in dignified fashion. It should be a Constitutional Right. I feel like going down to the Police Station now and walk them through how we should be properly arrested.
On COPS every single one you saw was offered and signed a release. They didn’t pay them or anything. They were all just so happy to get on TV that they would sign. Everyone you saw in those humiliating situations was HAPPY to get on TV. Guess that’s what keeps Jerry Springer going.
No joke. Don’t know about Live PD.
Some dopey production asst has the release and a check. My guess it was $250 if they signed. Jerry Springer Show would give them a 2 nights at a mid level hotel and a few hundies a day. I had friends that worked in this crap. They hated it and went on to decent film jobs.
LOL!
Williamson County are just downright MEAN. I know a guy that is Diabetic and was stopped at a checkpoint and his sugars were off and he was arrested for DWI. They didn’t believe him about the real problem, tossed him in jail and he finally became nonresponsive and they tested his sugar and eventually got Medical help. They still kept up the bogus charges, ran him through the system and ended up with Probation, Community Service, pulled his DL for a year and Fines. They are a bunch of pricks and always have been. I lived in the area for several decades.
You DO NOT want to be pulled over by them because they will pin something on you every time.
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