Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas taking pictures to hitch 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 City Council simply three weeks ago after operating on a platform of communication and outreach to the community. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased Faculty District, stopped a minimum of 19 officers from breaking into the college as the gunman opened fire for not less than an hour.

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

“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the right determination. It was a fallacious choice. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a news convention. “There were loads of officers to do what needed to be performed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted more gear and extra officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In accordance with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no energetic menace, so instead of sending officers in, he frolicked discovering keys that will let him into the school. During this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the attack. Nineteen students and two lecturers have been killed.

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

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

As the group 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 Unbiased Faculty 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 school district, in response to the Uvalde Leader-Information.

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

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

“We wish to be sure we are available wherever we are needed,” Arredondo instructed 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 different candidates, garnering practically 70 p.c of the vote in the Could 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-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 running. I have loads of ideas, and I positively have plenty of drive,” Arredondo advised 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 Information Digital, based mostly in Chicago.