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

The police chief who reportedly made the decision not to instantly ship officers into Robb Elementary School 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 neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent Faculty District, stopped at least 19 officers from breaking into the varsity because the gunman opened fireplace for no less than an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters weren't underneath an active threat, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Division of Public Safety, mentioned Friday. 

“From the benefit of hindsight the place I’m sitting now, in fact, it was not the precise decision. It was a unsuitable decision. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw mentioned at a information convention. “There have been plenty of officers to do what wanted to be carried out, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed more equipment and more officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

According to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active threat, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he frolicked discovering keys that will let him into the college. Throughout this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to carry out the assault. Nineteen college students and two teachers had been killed.

Arredondo was not current amongst legislation enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw did not explicitly identify him.

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

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

After working because 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 place of chief of police for the Uvalde school district, in keeping with the Uvalde Leader-Information.

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 instructed the Chief-Information that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a strong working relationship with the three officers he can be main. 

“We need to be sure that we can be found wherever we're needed,” Arredondo advised the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his local likability led to a successful bid for a Metropolis Council seat this month. He beat out three different candidates, garnering nearly 70 % of the vote within the Could 7 election, reported the Uvalde Chief-News. 

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

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

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

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