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

The police chief who reportedly made the decision not to instantly ship officers into Robb Elementary College to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council simply three weeks ago after working on a platform of communication and outreach to the neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent College District, stopped at the very least 19 officers from breaking into the varsity because the gunman opened hearth for a minimum of an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters were not underneath an energetic risk, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Security, said Friday. 

“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the suitable decision. It was a fallacious decision. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw mentioned at a information conference. “There were loads of officers to do what needed to be completed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra equipment and extra officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

According to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively risk, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he spent time discovering keys that would let him into the college. Throughout this time, nonetheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the assault. Nineteen students and two academics had been killed.

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

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

Because the community calls for solutions and pieces collectively 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 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 school district, in response to the Uvalde Chief-Information.

The previous 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 Chief-News that he was desirous to serve the group, saying he was committed to establishing a robust working relationship with the three officers he can be leading. 

“We need to ensure that we can be found wherever we are needed,” Arredondo informed the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his native likability led to a profitable bid for a Metropolis Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering almost 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 those in want,” the newspaper stated. 

“I’m very excited, I'm ready to hit the ground working. I've loads of concepts, and I undoubtedly have plenty of drive,” Arredondo instructed the outlet this month.

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

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