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

The police chief who reportedly made the decision to not instantly send 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 neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased School District, stopped at least 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 kids were not beneath an lively menace, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Security, mentioned Friday. 

“From the advantage of hindsight where I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the correct resolution. It was a flawed choice. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a information convention. “There were loads of officers to do what needed to be achieved, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra equipment and extra officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

According to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active menace, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he frolicked finding keys that might let him into the college. During this time, however, the shooter had unencumbered entry to carry out the assault. Nineteen students and two lecturers were killed.

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

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

As the community demands 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 as the police captain on 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 place of chief of police for the Uvalde school district, in accordance 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 advised the Chief-Information that he was desirous to serve the neighborhood, saying he was dedicated to establishing a strong working relationship with the three officers he would be leading. 

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

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

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

“I’m very excited, I am able to hit the ground running. I have loads of ideas, and I definitely have plenty 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 shooting.

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