Five Texas Department of Public Safety officers face a formal investigation over Uvalde shooting response
UVALDE, TEXAS - MAY 24: Law enforcement officers speak together outside of Robb Elementary School following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. According to reports, 19 students and 2 adults were killed, with
Five Texas Department of Public Safety officers who responded to the Uvalde school shooting in May will face an investigation into their actions at Robb Elementary, the agency said.
The officers were referred to the inspector general’s office, which will determine if the officers violated any policies in their response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, said DPS spokesperson Travis Considine. The inspector general’s office will also determine if the five officers will face disciplinary actions.
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The investigation was first reported by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE.
More than 300 law enforcement officers from two dozen local, state and federal agencies responded to the shooting at Robb Elementary, where a gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. A Texas House committee that investigated the shooting found that after officers were initially driven back by gunfire, they waited more than an hour to re-engage the gunman, a delay that could have cost lives.
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Law enforcement officers have faced fierce criticism for the delayed response in confronting the gunman. Former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo testified before the House committee that he believed the shooter was a "barricaded subject" instead of an "active shooter" after seeing an empty classroom next to the one where the shooter was when the gunman had already fired off more than 100 rounds in less than three minutes. Arredondo was largely blamed for the delayed confrontation and was fired last month.
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