Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas taking pictures to affix Metropolis Council

The police chief who reportedly made the call not to instantly send 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 group. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Impartial College 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 Division of Public Security, stated Friday. 

“From the good thing about hindsight where I’m sitting now, after all, it was not the proper decision. It was a improper choice. Interval. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw said at a information conference. “There were loads of officers to do what wanted to be finished, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he needed more equipment and extra officers to do a tactical breach at the moment."

In response to McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively risk, so instead of sending officers in, he frolicked discovering keys that might let him into the school. During this time, however, the shooter had unencumbered entry to carry out the attack. Nineteen college students and two academics had 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 comment by NBC News.

As the group calls for solutions and items collectively a shaky and conflicting timeline of occasions, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working as the police captain on the United Unbiased 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, in accordance with the Uvalde Leader-Information.

The previous chief, Leo Flores, resigned after being arrested on fees of unlawfully carrying a gun in a bar and threatening an officer, the newspaper reported. 

Arredondo advised the Chief-News that he was desirous to serve the community, saying he was committed to establishing a strong working relationship with the three officers he would be leading. 

“We want to ensure that we can be found wherever we're wanted,” Arredondo advised the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his local likability led to a successful bid for a Metropolis Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering practically 70 percent of the vote within the Could 7 election, reported the Uvalde Leader-Information. 

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

“I’m very excited, I'm ready to hit the bottom running. I've plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive,” Arredondo told the outlet this month.

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

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