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

The police chief who reportedly made the call to not immediately send officers into Robb Elementary Faculty to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council just three weeks ago after operating on a platform of communication and outreach to the group. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Impartial College District, stopped not less than 19 officers from breaking into the varsity as the gunman opened fireplace for no less than an hour.

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

“From the advantage of hindsight the place I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the appropriate determination. It was a wrong determination. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw stated at a information conference. “There have been plenty of officers to do what needed to be achieved, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted extra gear and more officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

Based on McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active threat, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he hung out finding keys that may let him into the college. Throughout this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered entry to carry out the attack. 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 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 events, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working because the police captain on the United Unbiased 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 line with 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-Information that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he can be main. 

“We need to be certain that we are available wherever we are needed,” Arredondo instructed 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 practically 70 p.c of the vote within the Might 7 election, reported the Uvalde Chief-News. 

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

“I’m very excited, I'm ready to hit the bottom working. I've plenty 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, precisely one week after the Uvalde shooting.

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