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Nevilledog

(50,677 posts)
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 05:45 PM Jun 2022

Uvalde schools police chief: I didn't know I was in charge at the shooting scene.



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The Uvalde police chief finally breaks his silence and this is what we get? He expects us to believe he didn’t realize he was the incident commander at the scene of the massacre? Unbelievable!

cbsnews.com
Uvalde schools police chief: I didn't know I was in charge at the shooting scene
Pete Arredondo defended himself in his first extensive remarks since the massacre. The police response to the shooting has been heavily criticized.
6:33 AM · Jun 10, 2022


https://www.cbsnews.com/news/pete-arredondo-uvalde-schools-police-chief-interview-police-response/

The Texas school police chief criticized for his actions during one of the deadliest classroom shootings in U.S. history said in his first extensive comments since the massacre, published Thursday, that he didn't consider himself the person in charge as it unfolded and assumed someone else had taken control of the law enforcement response.

Pete Arredondo, 50, the police chief of the Uvalde school district, also told The Texas Tribune he intentionally left behind both his police and campus radios before entering Robb Elementary School.

An 18-year-old gunman killed 19 children and two teachers behind a locked classroom door the chief said was reinforced with a steel jamb and couldn't be kicked in.

Poor radio communications is among the concerns raised about how police handled the May 24 shooting and why they didn't confront the gunman for more than an hour, even as anguished parents outside the school urged officers to go in.

*snip*


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Uvalde schools police chief: I didn't know I was in charge at the shooting scene. (Original Post) Nevilledog Jun 2022 OP
do you know what? I believe him...that's the first thing that makes any sense out of this whole mess anarch Jun 2022 #1
You believe the chief didn't know he was in charge? brush Jun 2022 #6
nobody; that's what I mean...it's his jurisdiction, but he took no actual responsibility for it anarch Jun 2022 #7
He's the CHIEF. When you have that title you're in charge. brush Jun 2022 #8
I know! it makes me want to tear my hair out anarch Jun 2022 #12
Jeebus, shut up and quit digging Novara Jun 2022 #2
The idea that agency after agency roles up to the scene questionseverything Jun 2022 #3
Agree. Tetrachloride Jun 2022 #16
It makes no sense. Claustrum Jun 2022 #23
It took him long enough to come up with that BS story. brush Jun 2022 #4
"I didn't even know I was police chief" dalton99a Jun 2022 #5
"it's my first day" n/t anarch Jun 2022 #9
When police chief wiggum has a better memory than this guy. Mystery sage Jun 2022 #11
This is just pathetic. EndlessWire Jun 2022 #10
Who were you deferring to? keithbvadu2 Jun 2022 #13
That is one of the most cowardly lies imaginable. RockRaven Jun 2022 #14
Yes, he definitely needs more money and training. WhiskeyGrinder Jun 2022 #15
Texas DPS may've been calling the shots. Kid Berwyn Jun 2022 #17
No. It's still not believable. Claustrum Jun 2022 #25
But they love to be in charge when... Xolodno Jun 2022 #18
Who the hell did he think was Cha Jun 2022 #19
This honestly makes sense to me pinkstarburst Jun 2022 #20
Digging deeper, deeeeeper. crickets Jun 2022 #21
Give the man credit for being honest Raymundo Jun 2022 #22
he has no business being a cop let alone a commander. Javaman Jun 2022 #24
He's an embarrassment to police officers and that's really something to say. OverBurn Jun 2022 #26

anarch

(6,535 posts)
1. do you know what? I believe him...that's the first thing that makes any sense out of this whole mess
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 05:49 PM
Jun 2022

no leadership, nobody really looking out for anybody's well-being, just a bunch of armed goons who consider their job to be keeping the rabble in line

brush

(53,471 posts)
6. You believe the chief didn't know he was in charge?
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 05:58 PM
Jun 2022

Who was if the chief cowering in the hallway wasn't?

anarch

(6,535 posts)
7. nobody; that's what I mean...it's his jurisdiction, but he took no actual responsibility for it
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:03 PM
Jun 2022

I can see him thinking, "fuck, somebody else should be handling this, I'm just a school cop" but instead of saying anything about it, or communicating usefully at all, trying to keep up a professional image, and meanwhile all around him are doing what they see as their appropriate part, meaning probably setting up perimeter security and telling people "stay back!" or roughing them up or whatever.

Total incompetence, total malfunction, total snafu. That town's whole set of police departments including this idiot should resign in shame, but I guess we don't do that kind of thing in this society.

anarch

(6,535 posts)
12. I know! it makes me want to tear my hair out
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:11 PM
Jun 2022

and then the fact that all the other "authorities" at the scene just let it all happen, and society in general just let it all happen

questionseverything

(9,631 posts)
3. The idea that agency after agency roles up to the scene
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 05:52 PM
Jun 2022

And no one communicates is crazy

Every agency head including this moron need to be charged with depraved indifference/ murder

Claustrum

(4,845 posts)
23. It makes no sense.
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:42 PM
Jun 2022

When you have other agencies coming to help, the first thing they ask is who's in charge. They need to know no one is in charge if his story is true. That is not believable at all. You don't go back up without asking or knowing who you should cooperate/help with and to get details about the current situation. I don't buy this AT ALL.

brush

(53,471 posts)
4. It took him long enough to come up with that BS story.
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 05:56 PM
Jun 2022

He should've kept hiding his face in shame instead of coming up with that unbelievable stupidity.

EndlessWire

(6,376 posts)
10. This is just pathetic.
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:06 PM
Jun 2022

This is just an overt effort to deflect blame from a hideous, heart wrenching case of police malfeasance.

I read that this police department had extensive training in how to breach and overcome a shooter scenario. Yet, they did not execute any plan.

I'd say that these remarks from this school police chief indicates that the police failed in their efforts. Definitely looking forward to all the lawsuits for failure to act that are surely going to come. I think, IMO, that if you suit up in the morning in a clean, spanking cop uniform with all the bells and whistles, all shiny indications of authority, that you are effectively stating your willingness and capability to ACT. Yes, there are war plans and strategies that should be followed. But, that is what a police CHIEF is suppose to be for.

This guy needs to resign. He doesn't take pride in his position, and instead makes excuses for failure to act. And, what's with this intentionally-left-my-police-and-campus-radios-behind crap? Who does that?? Unless you are this guy, seeking to absolve himself of any blame. I'll bet his attorney told him to explain that. No reason given, however.

keithbvadu2

(36,362 posts)
13. Who were you deferring to?
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:12 PM
Jun 2022

Who were you deferring to?

Other LEOs said Uvalde cops told them to hold back.

Kid Berwyn

(14,651 posts)
17. Texas DPS may've been calling the shots.
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:19 PM
Jun 2022

Department of Public Safety. Tells the Texas Rangers where to go. Not to exonerate the chief, but he may’ve answered the phone and been told by Austin to sit tight.

I understand he didn’t have a radio, so he didn’t hear the kids calling 9-11. What kind of leader doesn’t want to be in communication with his team? One who’s not leader.

STILL, HE SHOULDA GONE IN HIMSELF FIRST.

Claustrum

(4,845 posts)
25. No. It's still not believable.
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:45 PM
Jun 2022

As someone on the ground there, you need to know who is coming for your aid. You need to know who (the good guys) else is there so you don't accidentally shoot a good guy. Even if he thinks he isn't the leader, he should have been listening in and communicating with others about the details inside or where he should go. Someone has to be calling the shots and he should have known who that is.

pinkstarburst

(1,321 posts)
20. This honestly makes sense to me
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:21 PM
Jun 2022

This is Uvalde. Tiny town in the middle of nowhere. This guy is the head of the school district police. How big is the police force for that school district? 2-3 officers? If that? The police force for all of Uvalde looked like it was fewer than 10 people from the picture that's been reposted again and again. So I can see why he would be thinking surely the actual Uvalde Police Department would be in charge (in fact, why weren't they?) Or maybe a federal unit with more expertise and training like border patrol.

By the way, I'm not saying any of this is excusable. The fact that 19 people died while no one could find their asses and figure out what to do is inexcusable. But he may not be lying. This may be the reality of a small town with a bunch of different small law enforcement units unprepared to work together and that were completely untrained for something of this magnitude to occur.

crickets

(25,896 posts)
21. Digging deeper, deeeeeper.
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:25 PM
Jun 2022

No competent police chief says the words, "I didn't know I was in charge." Pete, you are the chief. Ultimately, you are always in charge.

Uvalde police chief says he ditched his radio during school shooting response – experts are stunned
no paywall - https://archive.ph/p0uAI

Thinking he was the first officer to arrive and wanting to waste no time, Arredondo believed that carrying the radios would slow him down. One had a whiplike antenna that would hit him as he ran. The other had a clip that Arredondo knew would cause it to fall off his tactical belt during a long run.

Arredondo said he knew from experience that the radios did not work in some school buildings.


Here are three known problems with his radios alone that could and should have been fixed before an emergency arose.

It sounds a lot like the litany of excuses from a child: "I didn't feel good. I forgot. The dog ate it!"

There are so many issues with the account given in this article (serious time compression, constantly changing story, hero narratives, etc) but the radio idiocy jumps out. The excuses about the keys are also inane. If the keyring is so heavy, shouldn't someone have thought of making a skeleton key set? Can't get through the door? There are windows, Sparky. And don't pretend you thought to go to those windows right away.

Why would anyone trust him to continue in his job? He is not qualified.

Raymundo

(3 posts)
22. Give the man credit for being honest
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:39 PM
Jun 2022

Good that the guy was honest with us. OTOH-is this an attempt to get off the hook for the lack of response? I vote for him to be retired.

Javaman

(62,439 posts)
24. he has no business being a cop let alone a commander.
Fri Jun 10, 2022, 06:45 PM
Jun 2022

it took him all this time to think up that pile of shit excuse?

fuck dude, get better writers, you suck at it.

time to fire his ass and bring him up on charges of dereliction of duty

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