Javier Ambler verdict and the Travis County District Attorney's race

AUSTIN (KXAN) -- Following the not guilty verdict for two deputies charged in the in-custody death of Javier Ambler, KXAN aims to provide context on how this relates to the Travis County District Attorney race.

District Attorney Jose Garza won the Democratic primary this week, advancing to the November general election. Garza will face off against Republican challenger Daniel Betts.

The final stretch of his primary campaign ran concurrently with a court case that defined one of his priorities.

"We will continue to hold law enforcement accountable," Garza said during his victory speech Tuesday.

That court case involved two Williamson County deputies who stood trial on manslaughter charges, accused of acting recklessly for using a Taser on Javier Ambler, who deputies had in custody. Ambler told them he had a heart condition.

Two days after Garza's victory speech, the verdict came down in this case - a verdict of "Not Guilty."

KXAN attempted to speak with Garza Friday, and he was not available. This story will be updated if we receive a response.

This is the second trial against law enforcement under Garza that has not resulted in a conviction. In November, the murder case against Austin Police Officer Christopher Taylor ended in a hung jury.

According to financial records KXAN viewed, the District Attorney's Office spent $42,000 to bring a special prosecutor out of retirement to work Taylor's case.

At the end of last year, Garza dropped 17 of the 21 indictments brought forth against APD officers related to their use of force in the 2020 racial injustice protests. In exchange, he requested a federal review of APD practices. The Department of Justice has not yet indicated whether it intends to conduct the review.