Dan Abrams is opening up about the cancellation of Live PD and the death of Javier Ambler, who was heard screaming “I can’t breathe” and “save me” after being tased by police following a pursuit.
Ambler’s death, which took place in front of cameras for the A&E show but was not aired, led to widespread criticism and accusations that police may have acted more aggressively in the presence of the film crew. Live PD was also pulled into a wider debate about police misconduct following the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis, with the show’s production company ultimately deciding to bring an end to the show, one of the highest-rated on the network.
“This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD,” the network said in a statement to Deadline . The statement went on to say that they would seek a way to tell stories of both the community and police officers who serve those communities.
“And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.”
In an article on his legal and crime news website Law & Crime , Abrams wrote that Ambler’s “gruesome” death did not appear on the show, and defended the network against criticism that the video was not produced for local prosecutors investigating Ambler’s death.
Abrams also said he wished the footage of the police pursuit that led up to Ambler’s death had been shown.
“It would have been very difficult to watch but in an ongoing effort to show all sides of policing I wish this had been aired just as we had shown many other controversial moments that led to criticism of, and appreciation for, police,” he said.
Abrams said that he was ultimately frustrated by the decision to cancel the show, as he believed its mission was to provide more transparency in policing. He said he agrees with advocates calling for more body cameras on officers, saying that the “antidote to bad policing” is greater transparency, which included shows like Live PD.
Others have spoken out against the decision to cancel the show. Greg Gutfeld told Fox News that the show didn’t fit the “current narrative” that police are hardworking men and women in difficult and dangerous circumstances, and the show revealed how they can sometimes be human. He decried the decision to cancel it, even though the show competed against his own on Saturday nights.
