2 ex-officers: Rewarded for use of force

GEORGETOWN, Texas — Two former employees of a Texas sheriff’s office say leaders rewarded officers with steakhouse gift cards when they used force on the job.

The Texas Rangers and the Williamson County prosecutor’s office are investigating at least five use-of-force incidents involving the Williamson County sheriff’s office in suburban Austin. A former deputy whose use of force is under investigation told investigators about the gift cards in a recorded interview obtained by the Austin American Statesman and KVUE-TV. A second former deputy confirmed the account to the outlets.

Deputies who received the gift cards include two involved in the 2019 death of Javier Ambler, according to former deputy Christopher Pisa. The two deputies, J.J. Johnson and Zach Camden, repeatedly used stun guns on the 40-year-old Black man, despite his pleas that he was sick and couldn’t breathe. Pisa did not say what incident led to Cmdr. Steve Deaton giving Johnson and Camden the gift cards, and the investigator did not ask, according to the Statesman.

Former Sgt. Troy Brogden, who resigned from the department in 2019, corroborated Pisa’s allegation, telling the newspaper and TV station that Deaton gave the cards “for what he considered good uses of force.” Deaton resigned from the department last year after facing criticism for Facebook posts making light of date rape, kidnapping and a Black football player’s amputation.