Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to join Metropolis Council

The police chief who reportedly made the call to not immediately send officers into Robb Elementary College to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council just three weeks ago after running on a platform of communication and outreach to the community. 

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

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

“From the good thing about hindsight the place I’m sitting now, in fact, it was not the fitting choice. It was a unsuitable choice. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw stated at a news convention. “There were plenty of officers to do what needed to be achieved, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted extra tools and more officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In line with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no energetic menace, so as a substitute of sending officers in, he frolicked discovering keys that may let him into the varsity. During this time, nevertheless, the shooter had unencumbered entry to hold out the assault. Nineteen college students and two teachers had been killed.

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

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

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

After working as the police captain at 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 faculty district, based on the Uvalde Leader-News.

The former 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 told the Leader-Information that he was wanting to serve the group, saying he was dedicated to establishing a robust working relationship with the three officers he could be main. 

“We need to be sure we can be found wherever we're needed,” Arredondo instructed 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 percent of the vote in the Could 7 election, reported the Uvalde Chief-News. 

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

“I’m very excited, I'm able to hit the ground running. I have plenty of ideas, and I positively have plenty of drive,” Arredondo advised the outlet this month.

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

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