Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to hitch City Council

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

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent Faculty District, stopped a minimum of 19 officers from breaking into the college as the gunman opened fire for at the least an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters weren't beneath an active risk, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Security, said Friday. 

“From the benefit of hindsight the place I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the precise choice. It was a flawed decision. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a news conference. “There were plenty of officers to do what needed to be achieved, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed more tools and extra officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

In response to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively risk, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he frolicked discovering keys that may let him into the college. Throughout this time, nonetheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to carry out the assault. Nineteen students and two academics were killed.

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

Arredondo did not immediately return a request for remark by NBC Information.

Because the group 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 School 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, in keeping with the Uvalde Leader-News.

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 informed the Chief-News that he was wanting to serve the community, saying he was dedicated to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he could be leading. 

“We want to make certain we are available wherever we are wanted,” Arredondo instructed the newspaper.

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

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

“I’m very excited, I am ready to hit the ground working. I've plenty of concepts, and I definitely have loads 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 capturing.

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