The Uvalde school district has fired Police Chief Pete Arredondo, who was one of the officers in charge when a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers in a school shooting in May.
The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District’s board of trustees voted unanimously this week to fire Arredondo, the chief who has been criticized for mishandling the shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, the Associated Press reports.
The firing comes after months of pressure from the public and others to hold police officers responsible for what’s been called a botched response to the shooting.
“Turn in your badge,” a girl said when she asked the board to oust Arredondo.
Arredondo was placed on leave in June. A state investigation found that he did not assume command and wasted time searching for keys to a door that was likely unlocked.
According to reports, nearly 400 officers responded to the shooting call, but officers did not enter the building until more than 70 minutes after first arriving.
Arredondo’s attorney, however, released a 17-page letter to the board, saying Arredondo had acted “bravely.” The letter says he warned the district previously about security issues at least a year before the shooting. Arredondo has also claimed he was not in charge at the scene.
“Chief Arredondo is a leader and a courageous officer who, with all of the other law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, should be celebrated for the lives they saved, instead of vilified for those they couldn’t reach in time,” attorney George Hyde wrote.
The Texas Department of Public Safety is also conducting its own investigation into the response of its 90 state troopers who were at the scene.
Students from Robb Elementary will return back to the classroom on Sept. 6, but they will not be at the elementary school where the shooting occurred. Instead, students will have the option of virtual learning or will be assigned to temporary classrooms at other schools.
Related:
11-Year-Old Uvalde Survivor Bravely Shares Her Story of ‘Playing Dead’ to Escape Classroom
DOJ to Review Delayed Police Response in Uvalde Shooting
How 7 Christian Leaders Reacted to the Uvalde, Texas, School Shooting
Photo courtesy: ©Getty Images/Michael M. Santiago/Staff
Amanda Casanova is a writer living in Dallas, Texas. She has covered news for ChristianHeadlines.com since 2014. She has also contributed to The Houston Chronicle, U.S. News and World Report and IBelieve.com. She blogs at The Migraine Runner.
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