Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas taking pictures to join Metropolis 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 in the past after running on a platform of communication and outreach to the neighborhood. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Independent Faculty District, stopped at the very least 19 officers from breaking into the school because the gunman opened fireplace for at least an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the children weren't below an active menace, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Friday. 

“From the advantage of hindsight the place I’m sitting now, in fact, it was not the right decision. It was a wrong resolution. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw mentioned at a news conference. “There were plenty of officers to do what needed to be carried out, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted more gear and extra officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

Based on McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active threat, so instead of sending officers in, he hung out finding keys that may let him into the college. Throughout this time, however, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the assault. Nineteen college students and two teachers were killed.

Arredondo was not present amongst regulation enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw didn't explicitly name him.

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

Because the neighborhood demands answers and pieces together a shaky and conflicting timeline of events, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working because the police captain on the United Independent 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, according to the Uvalde Leader-Information.

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

Arredondo informed the Leader-News that he was eager to serve the neighborhood, saying he was dedicated to establishing a robust working relationship with the three officers he can be leading. 

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

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his local likability led to a successful bid for a City Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering almost 70 p.c of the vote in 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 stated. 

“I’m very excited, I am ready to hit the ground running. I have loads of concepts, and I definitely have plenty of drive,” Arredondo instructed the outlet this month.

Arredondo is scheduled to be sworn onto the council on Tuesday, exactly one week after the Uvalde capturing.

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