Just one day after the long-running Cops was cancelled by Paramount Network, A&E has ended the run of Live PD in the wake of ongoing protests over racism and police brutality following the killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis in May. In a statement from A&E (via Variety) the network says that while the series will cease production, they will “determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them” going forward. You can check out the statement from the network below.
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“This is a critical time in our nation’s history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD. Going forward, we will determine if there is a clear pathway to tell the stories of both the community and the police officers whose role it is to serve them,” the statement reads. “And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments.”
The cancellation of Live PD also comes after it was revealed earlier this week that a camera crew from Live PD had filmed the death of Justin Ambler in March 2019, a black man, while in custody of Austin law enforcement for a traffic violation. On Tuesday, A&E confirmed that Ambler’s death was captured by the Live PD crew but was not broadcast and as it had not been requested by Austin investigators was not retained by the series and ultimately destroyed (via USA Today).
Live PD debuted October 28, 2016 and followed police officers across the country over the course of their patrols live with select encounters broadcast on the series. It was hosted by Dan Abrams with analysis offered by Tom Morris Jr. and Sgt. Sean “Sticks” Larkin. On Tuesday, following the announcement that Cops had been cancelled, Abrams addressed Live PD’s status, writing at that time “To all of you asking whether #LivePD coming back….The answer is yes. All of us associated with the show are as committed to it as ever. We are still discussing some specifics but I want to assure the #LivePDNation that we are not abandoning you.”
The last new episode of Live PD aired on A&E on May 23, 2020.
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