According to Hal Harrell (district superintendent), Pete Arredondo, chief of police for the Uvalde Independent Schools District (UCISD), was put on administrative leave.
Arredondo is still being criticized for not responding to the mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary School on May 24, killing 19 students and 2 teachers. Harrell stated Lt. Mike Hernandez would assume Arredondo’s role for now, AccordingCNN
“Because of the lack of clarity that remains and the unknown timing of when I will receive the results of the investigations, I have made the decision to place Chief Arredondo on administrative leave effective on this date,”Harrell stated this in a statement.
According to the superintendent, he originally wanted to let the Robb Elementary shooting investigation conclude before making any personnel decisions. He explained that this was not his original intention. “still without details of the investigations being conducted by various agencies.”
Arredondo was reportedly present Tuesday in closed-door testimony before a Texas House committee investigating details of the shooting. Uvalde and other citizens continue to search for answers as to why law enforcement officers took over an hour in order to enter the school and shoot the attacker. New video, however, reportedly proves that officers did not attempt to unlock the doors of the classroom.
“Surveillance footage shows that police never tried to open a door to two classrooms at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde in the 77 minutes between the time a gunman entered the rooms and massacred 21 people and officers finally breached the door and killed him,” the San Antonio Express-News reported, noting that the information came from a law enforcement official who was involved in investigating law enforcement’s response to the tragedy. “Investigators believe the 18-year-old gunman who killed 19 children and two teachers at the school on May 24 could not have locked the door to the connected classrooms from the inside.”
Arredondo recently was elected to the Uvalde City Council. However, he is facing resistance from certain members of his community. “want him out”They have a plan to get rid of him from city council. The Daily Wire reported.
Uvalde resident Kim Hammond proposed the plan on Tuesday at a city council meeting — which Arredondo did not attend — along with several other residents who all made it clear that they would prefer not to have him present.
Following an impassioned speech from Hammond, the council voted not to grant Arredondo a leave of absence — meaning that if he wants to keep his seat, he will be forced to attend meetings and face his constituents.
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