Former Williamson County deputy, a 'Live PD' star, faces charges for his response to domestic violence victim

A former Williamson County sheriff’s deputy once featured on the reality show “Live PD” and involved in at least three controversial force incidents has been charged with assault and official oppression from his encounter with a domestic violence victim in September 2019.

The incident involving Lorenzo Hernandez, who voluntarily left the force in late 2020, had received no public attention until reporting last fall from the American-Statesman and KVUE-TV during a months-long investigation of the agency. Hernandez is the sixth person, including the county’s former sheriff, to face 10 felony and misdemeanor charges for crimes officials say they committed in connection to their work with the Williamson County Sheriff’s Office. A new sheriff, Mike Gleason, took office in January.

Hernandez could not immediately be reached for comment, and it was not clear whether he has an attorney.

What happened involving the domestic violence victim, who was thrown to the ground as deputies forced their way into her apartment, was captured on body camera footage, and although Hernandez was featured on “Live PD,” the incident was not part of the show’s 18-month-long production run in the county.

More: Her neighbors called for help. When deputies came, they attacked the abuse victim

According to the body camera footage, neighbors in an apartment building in Northwest Austin called 911 to report a possible domestic violence incident. The woman, who has repeatedly declined interview requests and whose family has asked that she not be publicly named, assured the first responding deputy that her boyfriend was gone and that she wanted nothing to do with law enforcement, including them coming inside her home.

Moments later, without provocation, Hernandez grabbed the woman, and as she screamed, he threatened to use his Taser on her. He and two other deputies slammed her to the ground, handcuffing her while they searched her home, the footage shows.

Experts condemned their actions, saying that they escalated an incident that involved an alleged victim accused of no crime. And domestic violence victim advocates say they were horrified that the deputies scolded the woman.

“Understand the circumstances y’all put yourselves in, and you make us have to deal with those issues,” Hernandez said.

Hernandez is heard on body camera video telling the woman that searching her home was necessary to ensure her safety and that she was not hiding the suspect of an investigation.

Former Sheriff Robert Chody, who had used Hernandez in social media photos marketing the department’s “Live PD” participation, suspended Hernandez a day for the incident, but promoted him to detective two months later.

Williamson County District Attorney Shawn Dick said Monday that his office had been working the case with sheriff's investigators and will present it to a grand jury.

Two other unrelated incidents involving Hernandez also have resulted in either a criminal investigation or a lawsuit.

Hernandez also was one of five deputies involved in the controversial arrest of Ramsey Mitchell, who was being investigated for possible drug possession after a traffic stop, that was broadcast on “Live PD.” In that video, Hernandez arrived as other deputies pinned Mitchell to the ground and delivered several punches.

That case remains under investigation.

Hernandez also was named as a defendant in a February lawsuit filed by a Leander man who accused Williamson County deputies of excessive force that included being bitten by a police dog and stunned with a Taser when arrested in 2019 for a misdemeanor.

The death of Javier Ambler II prompted investigation by the Statesman and KVUE that included a rise in force encounters during the show’s Williamson County run. Former Deputies J.J. Johnson and Zach Camden chased Ambler for 22 minutes in March 2019 in a pursuit that started because he failed to dim his headlights.

After crashing his SUV several times, Ambler’s car became disabled, and deputies used Tasers on him four times while he gasped that he had a heart condition and could not breathe — all while the show filmed. A grand jury in Travis County, where the chase ended, indicted them on manslaughter charges, but their attorneys predict they will prevail at trial.

More: Deputies indicted on manslaughter charges in Javier Ambler death by Travis County grand jury

Former Sheriff Robert Chody and Jason Nassour, an assistant county attorney, have been indicted on two charges each of evidence tampering related to the destruction of “Live PD” footage of Ambler’s death. Their attorneys say that they did nothing illegal, and prosecutors have not publicly described what actions they alleged Chody and Nassour took to erase the video.

More: 'Javier Ambler Law' banning reality TV and policing passes Texas Senate, heads to Abbott's desk

In an unrelated case, Deputy Christopher Pisa faces charges of assault and official oppression for his violent arrest of a Black mother in April 2019. He remains on the force.

Last week, the Texas Senate overwhelmingly approved the Javier Ambler Law, which now heads to the governor’s desk and bans reality TV production companies from partnering with state law enforcement agencies.

Previous investigations

Austin area police chase ends in death as ‘Live PD’ cameras roll ‘Live PD’ captures second violent arrest, drawing scrutiny of deputies in Javier Ambler case They could’ve arrested him at the courthouse. Instead, deputies waited till the cameras were rolling and busted down his door. Despite troubled pasts, sheriff cast them as ‘Live PD’ stars Did Williamson County deputies chase more cars for TV fodder?

This article originally appeared on Austin American-Statesman: Former Williamson County deputy, a 'Live PD' star, faces charges for his response to domestic violence victim

___

(c)2021 Austin American-Statesman, Texas

Visit Austin American-Statesman, Texas at www.statesman.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.