Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to affix City Council

The police chief who reportedly made the decision not to immediately ship officers into Robb Elementary Faculty 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 group. 

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

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters were not beneath an active risk, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, mentioned Friday. 

“From the benefit of hindsight the place I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the appropriate choice. It was a flawed resolution. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw mentioned at a information conference. “There have been plenty of officers to do what needed to be done, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra gear and extra officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

In line with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively threat, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he hung out discovering keys that might let him into the college. During this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered entry to hold out the attack. Nineteen college students and two lecturers had been killed.

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

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

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

After working as the police captain on the United Independent College District in Laredo, Texas, about 140 miles south of Uvalde, Arredondo returned to his hometown in April 2020, when he accepted the position of chief of police for the Uvalde school district, according to the Uvalde Chief-News.

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

Arredondo advised the Chief-News that he was desperate to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he can be leading. 

“We wish to make sure that we are available wherever we are wanted,” Arredondo told the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his local likability led to a successful bid for a City Council seat this month. He beat out three different candidates, garnering nearly 70 p.c of the vote in the Might 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-Information. 

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

“I’m very excited, I am ready to hit the ground operating. I have plenty of concepts, and I definitely have loads of drive,” Arredondo instructed the outlet this month.

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

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