Uvalde school police Chief Pete Arredondo fired over the Robb Elementary School massacre
Uvalde school police Chief Pete Arredondo fired over the Robb Elementary School massacre
Updated on August 25, 2022 16:57 PM by Dhinesh
Over 100 people of furious parents and family members of the 21 victims voiced their fury right before the beginning of the hearing. Pete Arredondo failed to appear at his hearing, and the crowd cried, calling him a coward. As part of the hearing, a vote was taken right after he was asked to be taken off of suspension and receive back pay.
Pete Arredondo requested a reinstatement through his attorney George E. Hyde. His attorney spoke, Steven McCraw, the Director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, identified Pete Arredondo as the commander on the day of the shooting incident and blamed him for a 70-minute delay in confronting the 18-year-old gunman after he entered the school.
Pete Arredondo's attorney argued that his client was not in the incident commander position and wasn't aware that children were injured in the classroom.
Only after entering the premises did he become aware that the shooter was engaged, and the officers stopped him. After the massacre, Pete Arredondo was first suspended in June, and his hearing regarding termination was delayed twice. During the Texas House Committee investigation, he thought the suspect was in the classroom.
The Texas House committee report released last month said that the responding officer lacked leadership skills and communication and did not know how to confront the gunman.
The latter was shot dead after U.S. Border Patrol tactical team entered the classroom, and the victims were already shot dead. On Wednesday, school board members approved to fire of Pete Arredondo. He is responsible for the most deadly school shooting ever recorded in the history of Texas.
He was elected to the Uvalde City Council a few weeks before the shooting but wasn't sworn in until after the massacre. After missing many meetings, he stepped down from his District 3 seat to "minimize further distractions."
Family members of the victim believe that terminating Pete Arredondo is the way that one can bring justice to the massacre, and not only he but even the other law enforcement officers and agencies should also be held accountable.