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

The police chief who reportedly made the decision to not instantly send officers into Robb Elementary School to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's City Council just three weeks ago after running on a platform of communication and outreach to the group. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Impartial Faculty District, stopped no less than 19 officers from breaking into the varsity because the gunman opened fireplace for no less than an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters were not below an active menace, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Security, mentioned Friday. 

“From the good thing about hindsight where I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the fitting determination. It was a wrong decision. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a news convention. “There were plenty of officers to do what wanted to be performed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted more gear and more officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In keeping with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no active risk, so as a substitute of sending officers in, he frolicked discovering keys that may let him into the college. Throughout this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the attack. Nineteen students and two academics had been killed.

Arredondo was not present among law enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw didn't explicitly identify him.

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

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

After working because the police captain at the United Unbiased College 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 college district, in keeping with the Uvalde Leader-Information.

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

Arredondo informed the Chief-Information that he was desirous to serve the neighborhood, saying he was committed to establishing a robust working relationship with the three officers he can be main. 

“We wish to ensure that we can be found wherever we're needed,” Arredondo informed the newspaper.

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

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

“I’m very excited, I'm ready to hit the bottom working. I've loads of concepts, and I undoubtedly have plenty of drive,” Arredondo told 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 mostly in Chicago.