Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to hitch City 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 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 School District, stopped not less than 19 officers from breaking into the varsity as the gunman opened fire for at the least an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the children were not below an energetic risk, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, stated Friday. 

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

In keeping with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active risk, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he spent time finding keys that would let him into the college. During this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered entry to carry out the attack. Nineteen students and two lecturers have been killed.

Arredondo was not current amongst law enforcement officers standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw didn't explicitly name him.

Arredondo didn't immediately return a request for remark by NBC Information.

Because the neighborhood calls for answers and pieces 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 Impartial 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 faculty district, based on the Uvalde Leader-News.

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

Arredondo informed the Chief-Information that he was desperate to serve the neighborhood, saying he was committed to establishing a robust working relationship with the three officers he would be leading. 

“We want to make sure that we are available wherever we are needed,” Arredondo informed the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his local likability led to a profitable bid for a City Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering almost 70 p.c of the vote within the May 7 election, reported the Uvalde Chief-Information. 

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

“I’m very excited, I am ready to hit the ground working. I have loads of ideas, and I definitely have loads of drive,” Arredondo advised 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, primarily based in Chicago.