Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to join City 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 simply three weeks ago after operating on a platform of communication and outreach to the neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased College District, stopped a minimum of 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 kids were not under an active risk, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Friday. 

“From the good thing about hindsight where I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the suitable determination. It was a improper choice. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw stated at a information convention. “There were loads of officers to do what wanted to be done, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted extra tools and extra officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

In line with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively risk, so as a substitute of sending officers in, he frolicked discovering keys that would let him into the college. During this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered entry to hold out the attack. Nineteen college students and two teachers have been killed.

Arredondo was not present 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 items collectively 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 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 college district, in accordance with the Uvalde Chief-News.

The former 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 informed the Leader-News that he was wanting to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he would be main. 

“We need to ensure 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 City Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering almost 70 percent of the vote in the May 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-Information. 

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

“I’m very excited, I am able to hit the ground operating. I've loads of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive,” Arredondo informed the outlet this month.

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

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