Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas taking pictures to join City Council

The police chief who reportedly made the call not to instantly send officers into Robb Elementary Faculty to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council simply three weeks in the past after operating on a platform of communication and outreach to the community. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Impartial School District, stopped not less than 19 officers from breaking into the varsity as the gunman opened fire for a minimum of an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the kids were not underneath an energetic risk, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Division of Public Safety, mentioned Friday. 

“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the precise determination. It was a incorrect resolution. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw stated at a information conference. “There were loads of officers to do what wanted to be completed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra tools and more officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In response to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no energetic menace, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he spent time discovering keys that may let him into the school. Throughout this time, nonetheless, the shooter had unencumbered entry to hold out the assault. Nineteen students and two teachers have been killed.

Arredondo was not current amongst legislation enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw didn't explicitly name him.

Arredondo didn't immediately return a request for remark by NBC Information.

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

After working because the police captain at the United Impartial Faculty 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 faculty district, in response to the Uvalde Chief-News.

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

Arredondo informed the Leader-News that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he would be leading. 

“We wish to be certain we are available wherever we're needed,” Arredondo advised the newspaper.

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

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

“I’m very excited, I'm able to hit the ground running. I have plenty of ideas, and I positively have loads of drive,” Arredondo advised the outlet this month.

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

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