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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsUvalde schools police chief: I didn't know I was in charge at the shooting scene.
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@cwebbonline
The Uvalde police chief finally breaks his silence and this is what we get? He expects us to believe he didnt 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*
anarch
(6,535 posts)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)Who was if the chief cowering in the hallway wasn't?
anarch
(6,535 posts)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.
brush
(53,471 posts)Jesus.
anarch
(6,535 posts)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
Novara
(5,754 posts)questionseverything
(9,631 posts)And no one communicates is crazy
Every agency head including this moron need to be charged with depraved indifference/ murder
Tetrachloride
(7,723 posts)if there are more applicable charges, i would like to know.
Claustrum
(4,845 posts)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)He should've kept hiding his face in shame instead of coming up with that unbelievable stupidity.
dalton99a
(81,065 posts)anarch
(6,535 posts)Mystery sage
(576 posts)EndlessWire
(6,376 posts)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)Who were you deferring to?
Other LEOs said Uvalde cops told them to hold back.
RockRaven
(14,782 posts)WhiskeyGrinder
(22,145 posts)Kid Berwyn
(14,651 posts)Department of Public Safety. Tells the Texas Rangers where to go. Not to exonerate the chief, but he mayve answered the phone and been told by Austin to sit tight.
I understand he didnt have a radio, so he didnt hear the kids calling 9-11. What kind of leader doesnt want to be in communication with his team? One whos not leader.
STILL, HE SHOULDA GONE IN HIMSELF FIRST.
Claustrum
(4,845 posts)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.
Xolodno
(6,330 posts)...they can harass someone who is unarmed and can't fight back.
Cha
(295,907 posts)in charge? The Mothers? 💖🤷?♂️
💙💛
pinkstarburst
(1,321 posts)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)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
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)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)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