Resignation has been announced by the Uvalde, Texas, police chief. Following the horrific shooting in 2022 that claimed the lives of 19 students and 2 educators, his department came under heavy fire for officers who delayed responding for almost an hour. Although the police have been exonerated of any involvement in the atrocity by a fresh investigation that the city council commissioned, the family of the victims are nevertheless extremely angry.
Uvalde Cops Criticized for Inaction
An 18-year-old ex-student of Robb Elementary School in Uvalde named Salvador Ramos brought a semiautomatic gun into the building on May 24, 2022. Less than two minutes after Ramos began firing at approximately 11:29 a.m., the first law enforcement official arrived at the site. Ramos had hid in a classroom with wounded survivors by 11:35 a.m., and the school had been surrounded by numerous armed officers.
Nonetheless, the cops patiently awaited the arrival of specialized equipment for breaking into doors. Ultimately, at 12:50 p.m., seventy-four minutes after the initial police arrival, a tactical unit of the federal Border Patrol burst into the school, entered the classroom, and murdered Ramos.
The families of the students who perished in the classroom that Ramos occupied were among those who heavily criticized the Uvalde police for doing nothing. If the police had stormed the room and shot the gunman immediately, many parents questioned whether their children would still be alive today. The Uvalde police were deemed to have been inadequately trained, insufficiently directed, and uncoordinated in their reaction to the slaughter, according to a study released on January 18 by the Department of Justice.
In the meanwhile, a report was produced on March 7 by the Uvalde City Council. The author of this study, a former investigator, came to a completely different conclusion. Despite acknowledging poor coordination and communications, it cleared Uvalde cops of any wrongdoing.
Police Chief Resigns
Uvalde Police Department Chief Daniel Rodriguez resigned on March 12, despite the fact that the investigation exonerated his department—a move that parents swiftly criticized as a cover-up. Rodriguez only stated, “After much contemplation and consideration, I believe it is time for me to embark on a new chapter in my career,” omitting any reference to the Robb Elementary shooting completely.
His official resignation is scheduled for April 6, and until then, Assistant Police Chief Homer Delgado will fill in for him.
The parents of Uvalde are becoming increasingly impatient as the council continues to insist on further time in order to choose its next move. The official reaction was condemned by Kimberly Mata-Rubio as “a brothers’ pact,” echoing the sentiments of the mother whose 10-year-old daughter was slain by Ramos. You look out for number one.
