Report Shows Uvalde Police Chief Waited 2 Years In Parking Lot Outside Office Before Resigning

UVALDE, TX—In the wake of a devastating school shooting and reports that his officers did not receive adequate active-shooter training, an investigation showed Monday that Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez waited nearly two years in the parking lot outside his office before finally entering the building to resign. “I admit that I was aware of what was taking place inside police headquarters while I was standing outside, but I needed to organize my thoughts before I went in and confronted the mayor with a resignation letter,” Rodriguez said in response to the damning evidence, arguing that while he had made mistakes, his delayed resignation in the wake of the Robb Elementary School tragedy was the result of his training to never take responsibility for anything that might create legal exposure for himself or his department. “By milling about in the station’s parking lot, I was merely following our policy to avoid confrontation at all costs. This was a very serious, highly tense situation, and I couldn’t risk barging into the building without a plan to keep my pension safe. There are men with guns in there, for Christ’s sake. I needed a few years to collect my thoughts so as not to make a rash decision.” At press time, Rodriguez had accepted the blame for all four officers—out of hundreds on the scene—known to have been fired for their response to the school shooting.