Former Uvalde schools police chief makes first court appearance since indictment
The former Uvalde, Texas, school police chief made his first court appearance for his role in the police’s slow response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting
AUSTIN, Texas — The former police chief of Uvalde, Texas, schools made his first court appearance Monday for his role in the heavily scrutinized police response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School Shooting.
Pete Arredondo, believed to be the incident commander, was part of the slow police response that left 19 students and two teachers dead.
Lawyers for Arredondo filed a motion to dismiss the chargesarguing that the former chief should not be held responsible for actions he did not take that day. The judge did not rule on the motion Monday.
A grand jury indicted Arredondo, as well as responding officer Adrian Gonzales, on multiple charges of child abuse and abandonment earlier this year. Both have pleaded not guilty.
The lawsuit alleges that Arredondo failed to follow active shooter training and made critical decisions that delayed law enforcement’s response as the shooter hunted for victims.
Arredondo has said that he ” scapegoat “for his role in the law enforcement response and should not have been considered the lead commander.
Nearly 400 federal, state and local agents waited more than 70 minutes before confronting the shooter at Robb Elementary. Multiple state and federal investigations have pointed to deficiencies in communication, leadership and training for the law enforcement response.
A federal review by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Office of Professional Responsibility A report was released on Thursday that found similar problems in communication and command among Border Patrol agents.
The former school police chief and Gonzalez, who was charged with 29 similar counts of endangerment and neglect, are the only two officers facing criminal charges. If convicted, they could face up to two years in prison.
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Lathan is a corps member for the Associated Press/Report for America Statehouse News Initiative. Report for America is a nonprofit national service program that places journalists in local newsrooms to report on under-reported issues.