Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas shooting to hitch Metropolis Council

The police chief who reportedly made the call to not immediately send officers into Robb Elementary College to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's City Council simply three weeks ago after running on a platform of communication and outreach to the neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased Faculty District, stopped no less than 19 officers from breaking into the school because the gunman opened hearth for at the least an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters weren't below an lively menace, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Division of Public Safety, mentioned Friday. 

“From the benefit of hindsight the place I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the best resolution. It was a mistaken resolution. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw mentioned at a information convention. “There were loads of officers to do what needed to be performed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted extra equipment and extra officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

In keeping with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active menace, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he spent time finding keys that would let him into the college. During this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the assault. Nineteen college students and two academics have been killed.

Arredondo was not present among legislation enforcement officers standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw did not explicitly name him.

Arredondo did not instantly return a request for comment by NBC Information.

Because the community calls for answers and pieces together a shaky and conflicting timeline of occasions, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working because the police captain on the United Impartial College District in Laredo, Texas, about 140 miles south of Uvalde, Arredondo returned to his hometown in April 2020, when he accepted the place of chief of police for the Uvalde college district, in response to the Uvalde Leader-Information.

The former chief, Leo Flores, resigned after being arrested on expenses of unlawfully carrying a gun in a bar and threatening an officer, the newspaper reported. 

Arredondo told the Leader-News that he was wanting to serve the group, saying he was committed to establishing a robust working relationship with the three officers he can be leading. 

“We wish to make certain we are available wherever we are needed,” Arredondo told the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his native likability led to a profitable bid for a City Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering practically 70 percent of the vote in the May 7 election, reported the Uvalde Chief-Information. 

The chief campaigned, largely door-to-door, on communication and outreach “to these in want,” the newspaper stated. 

“I’m very excited, I'm able to hit the ground operating. I've loads of concepts, and I undoubtedly have loads of drive,” Arredondo advised the outlet this month.

Arredondo is scheduled to be sworn onto the council on Tuesday, precisely one week after the Uvalde capturing.

Safia Samee Ali is a reporter for NBC Information Digital, based in Chicago.