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    “Live PD” dropped by A&E on heels of “Cops” cancellation

    By SHOOTUpdated:No Comments1568 Views
    In this image made from a March 28, 2019, body-worn camera video provided by the Austin Police Department in Texas, Williamson County deputies hold down Javier Ambler as one of them uses a Taser on Ambler’s back during his arrest in Austin, Texas. The black man died in custody in 2019 after sheriff's deputies repeatedly used stun guns on him, despite his pleas that he was sick and couldn't breathe, according a report published Monday, June 8, 2020, by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV. The video was made on the camera worn by an Austin police officer who also showed up at the scene as Williamson County deputies were making the arrest. (Austin Police Department via AP)

    By Andrew Dalton, Entertainment Writer

    LOS ANGELES (AP) --

    A&E Network has canceled the police reality series "Live PD" following weeks of protests inspired by the death of George Floyd and a report that a crew from the show filmed the arrest of a black man who died after he was restrained by police. 

    A&E Network has canceled the police reality series "Live PD" after weeks of protests inspired by the death of George Floyd and a report that a crew from the show filmed the death of another black man in police custody. 

    The cable network announced the move Wednesday, a day after the similar show "Cops," on the air for 33 seasons, was dropped by the Paramount Network. 

    "This is a critical time in our nation's history and we have made the decision to cease production on Live PD," A&E said in a statement. "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. And with that, we will be meeting with community and civil rights leaders as well as police departments."

    The cancellation also comes a day after a reports from the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE-TV that 40-year-old Javier Ambler, who was black, died in Texas last year after sheriff's deputies repeatedly used stun guns on him, despite his cries for help and pleas that he was sick and couldn't breathe. 

    Prosecutors who are investigating Ambler's death said the presence of the "Live PD" crew made the arrest, which was captured on police body-camera video obtained by the news outlets, particularly troubling. 

    A&E said in a previous statement that its video never aired because of a policy against showing a death, and it did not keep the footage after it was informed the initial investigation had closed. A&E said neither the network nor the show's producers "were asked for the footage or an interview by investigators from law enforcement or the District Attorney's office."

    Just as Paramount Network did with "Cops," A&E had already ceased airing episodes of "Live PD" before announcing Wednesday that it was dropping the show altogether. 

    "Live PD," which had been on the air since 2016, had a more news documentary approach than "Cops," which let police speak almost entirely for themselves. 

    "Shocked & beyond disappointed about this," the show's host, veteran journalist Dan Abrams, said on Twitter. "To the loyal #LivePDNation please know I, we, did everything we could to fight for you, and for our continuing effort at transparency in policing. I was convinced the show would go on." 

    Tags:A&E NetworkCopsGeorge FloydLive PD



    Ex-OpenAI engineer who raised legal concerns about the technology he helped build has died

    Saturday, December 21, 2024
    Suchir Balaji poses for a photo in Hawaii in 2018. Balaji was a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who died in November 2024. (Balaji Ramamurthy via AP)

    Suchir Balaji, a former OpenAI engineer and whistleblower who helped train the artificial intelligence systems behind ChatGPT and later said he believed those practices violated copyright law, has died, according to his parents and San Francisco officials. He was 26.

    Balaji worked at OpenAI for nearly four years before quitting in August. He was well-regarded by colleagues at the San Francisco company, where a co-founder this week called him one of OpenAI's strongest contributors who was essential to developing some of its products.

    "We are devastated to learn of this incredibly sad news and our hearts go out to Suchir's loved ones during this difficult time," said a statement from OpenAI.

    Balaji was found dead in his San Francisco apartment on Nov. 26 in what police said "appeared to be a suicide. No evidence of foul play was found during the initial investigation." The city's chief medical examiner's office confirmed the manner of death to be suicide.

    His parents Poornima Ramarao and Balaji Ramamurthy said they are still seeking answers, describing their son as a "happy, smart and brave young man" who loved to hike and recently returned from a trip with friends.

    Balaji grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area and first arrived at the fledgling AI research lab for a 2018 summer internship while studying computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. He returned a few years later to work at OpenAI, where one of his first projects, called WebGPT, helped pave the way for ChatGPT.

    "Suchir's contributions to this project were essential, and it wouldn't have succeeded without him," said OpenAI co-founder John Schulman in a social media post memorializing Balaji. Schulman, who recruited Balaji to his team, said what... Read More

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