Uvalde school district suspends its police force

First modification: 08/10/2022 – 04:02

The authorities of the Uvalde school district in the state of Texas suspended all district guards and assured that it is a decision based on “recent events” while the investigations carried out by the Texas Police Chiefs Association and private investigators continue after the shooting last May in which 19 minors and two teachers died.

In a statement, the district reported the suspension of all activities by the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Department.a force made up of five officers and a security guard, “for a period of time.”

The events come after it was learned on Thursday, October 6, that the district fired a school police officer identified as Crimson Elizondo, who was recently hired, after realizing that she was one of the almost 400 officers who responded to the shooting and who have been strongly questioned for their delay in neutralizing the attacker.

Although the woman was one of the first agents to arrive at the scene, she always remained outside the school and CNN showed yesterday that Elizondo’s body camera recorded her saying: “If my son had been there, I would not have I’ve been out. I promise.”

In the text, the district also explains that Lieutenant Miguel Hernández was placed on administrative leave. In turn, Ken Mueller, who served as director of student services, was also placed on administrative leave and announced that he will retire. The remaining officers on the force will be reassigned to other duties in the district.

Strong pressure amid shooting investigations

It has only been a month since the school year began in this South Texas community and the decisions show the strong pressure that the authorities face while they continue the investigations into the case.

Prior to this Friday’s measure, the dismissal of the head of the Uvalde School Police, Pete Arredondo, had only occurred last August.

The families of the victims have questioned why, despite the fact that 376 agents from various agencies responded to the shooting, many of them armed with pistols, rifles and bulletproof vests, it took more than an hour before they confronted Salvador Ramos, a young man from 18 years who was the author of the facts.

The district stated that it would ask the Texas Department of Public Safety for additional assistance during the suspension of the police force. At the time, he indicated that “we trust that the safety of staff and students will not be compromised during this transition.

With information from EFE and AP