Uvalde Police Chief Suffers Delayed Swearing-In Ceremony Due to Failures

Uvalde Police Chief Pays A Price For Failing To Protect School Shooting Victims

(RepublicanNews.org) – A Uvalde, Texas law enforcement official who was initially set to become an official city council member on May 31 will no longer step into that position, at least for the moment. Local Police Department Chief Pete Arredondo is facing a mountain of criticism for his role in the response to a tragic shooting at Robb Elementary School. Uvalde Mayor Dan McLaughlin opted to postpone the swearing-in ceremony instead.

Uvalde school police chief's swearing-in ceremony for city council reportedly called off following shootinghttps://t.co/Q2xcWJNn5N

— Fox News (@FoxNews) May 31, 2022

The shooting perpetrator, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, crashed a vehicle near the school grounds shortly before firing several rounds at the building on May 24. He then entered the facility and made his way to a classroom, where he went on a shooting spree that ended 21 lives.

Law enforcement officers, including local police and US Marshals, gathered outside the school to handle the situation. Arrendondo was assigned command of the operation and ultimately decided not to send forces in to confront Ramos for nearly 78 minutes.

Texas Public Safety Director Steven McCraw told Fox News that Arrendondo believed the suspect had barricaded himself in a room and no longer posed a threat to children. The police chief was allegedly more concerned that Ramos might attempt to shoot anyone who tried to make their way in.

McCraw called Arrendondo’s decision to wait and organize rather than engage the shooter “deeply incorrect.” While Ramos did barricade himself, children were still present in the same classroom.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin apparently released a statement on May 30 that the city’s current focus is on mourning the deceased rather than processing new council oaths. The city council meeting will occur at a later date; nothing prevents Arrendondo from becoming a city council member. Mayor McLaughlin has asked the Department of Justice to investigate the potentially problematic police response.