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

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

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased College District, stopped no less than 19 officers from breaking into the college as the gunman opened fireplace for no less than an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the kids weren't beneath an active threat, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, stated Friday. 

“From the good thing about hindsight the place I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the best decision. It was a fallacious decision. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a information convention. “There were plenty of officers to do what wanted to be accomplished, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed extra equipment and extra officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In response to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively threat, so as an alternative of sending officers in, he spent time finding keys that will let him into the school. During this time, nonetheless, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the attack. Nineteen students and two academics have been killed.

Arredondo was not present amongst legislation enforcement officers standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw did not explicitly name him.

Arredondo didn't 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 Independent School 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 school district, in response to the Uvalde Chief-News.

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 advised the Leader-Information that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was committed to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he could be main. 

“We want to be certain we can be found wherever we're wanted,” Arredondo told the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his native likability led to a profitable bid for a Metropolis Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering practically 70 p.c of the vote within the May 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-News. 

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

“I’m very excited, I am able to hit the bottom running. I've loads of concepts, and I definitely have plenty of drive,” Arredondo instructed the outlet this month.

Arredondo is scheduled to be sworn onto the council on Tuesday, exactly one week after the Uvalde taking pictures.

Safia Samee Ali is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based mostly in Chicago.