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

The police chief who reportedly made the call not to instantly ship officers into Robb Elementary College to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council just three weeks in the past after running 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 least 19 officers from breaking into the varsity as the gunman opened hearth for no less than an hour.

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

“From the advantage of hindsight where I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the best resolution. It was a incorrect decision. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw mentioned at a information convention. “There have been loads of officers to do what needed to be achieved, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra gear and extra officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In response to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively menace, so as a substitute of sending officers in, he spent time discovering keys that would let him into the college. Throughout this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered entry to carry out the assault. Nineteen college students and two lecturers were killed.

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

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

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

After working as the police captain at the United Independent School 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 faculty district, in keeping with 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 told the Leader-Information that he was eager to serve the neighborhood, saying he was committed to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he would be main. 

“We need to ensure that we can be found wherever we're 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 practically 70 percent of the vote within the Could 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-News. 

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

“I’m very excited, I am ready to hit the ground operating. I have loads of ideas, and I positively 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, primarily based in Chicago.