Uvalde
376 Cops
There were more cops present than rounds fired during the May 24 terrorist attack in Uvalde, Texas
--
An interim report issued by a Texas House Committee shows nearly 400 officers were present during the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas. State and federal law enforcement were on the scene along with local police amassing a major force from more than a dozen agencies and jurisdictions. The findings were highly critical of all agencies for waiting over an hour before engaging the mass shooter as he executed 19 children and 2 teachers.
The report further validates the theory that came about in the aftermath of the attack pointing to police prioritizing their lives over the victims’ lives. The video from the school that was recently released also adds substantial evidence to this theory despite some of the law enforcement officers having children who attended the school. Newly released bodycam footage also confirms rumors that came about in the initial days after the attack that many officers assisted with evacuating the school while dozens of others waited to engage the shooter.
“These local officials were not the only ones expected to supply the leadership needed during this tragedy”, the report said. “Hundreds of responders from numerous law enforcement agencies — many of whom were better trained and better equipped than the school district police — quickly arrived on the scene… [Other responders] could have helped address the unfolding chaos,” the report continued.
Certainly, every agency bears responsibility and criticism. But, pundits arguing federal agencies should have taken control from school police chief Pedro “Pete” Arredondo without any clear guidelines for them to do so are ignoring the “systemic failures and egregious poor decision making” that were highlighted in the report. The true failure began when local and surrounding agencies didn’t adhere to their active shooter guidelines and failed to provide leadership.
While the report points to systemic failures indicating that the focus will likely move to address where the so-called “system” broke down and how we’re going to address it moving forward, it also unintentionally highlights blatant negligence by the police. Alongside the…
