The Uvalde school police chief who led the first responder squad that waited more than an hour before responding to a mass shooter at a Texas town elementary school last month has announced his resignation from the Uvalde City Council — less than a month after taking an oath to the municipal authority.
Pete Arredondo, police chief of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District, was elected to the position on May 7 and sworn in during a private ceremony on May 31, a week after gunman Salvador Ramos killed 19 children and two teachers at Rob Elementary School.
Arredondo claimed he was not the incident commander on the day of the shooting, a claim disputed by the Texas Department of Public Safety, which is investigating the massacre.
“After much consideration, I regret to inform those who voted for me that I have decided to step down as a City Council member for District 3,” Arredondo told the Uvalde Leader News.
“The mayor, city council and city staff must continue to move forward without distraction. I feel this is the best decision for Uvalde.”
Arendondo has not attended City Council meetings since being sworn in.
Uvalde Schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo has resigned from the city council.Mikala Compton-USA TODAY NETWORK/Sipa USA
The board met on June 21 to discuss Arendondo’s leave request, which was ultimately denied, according to the New York Times. Several residents approached the assembly rostrum and called on the chief to step down.
“After he chose to wait an hour for backup instead of ordering officers to take down the shooter, he proved he couldn’t do his job,” said Jazmin Cazares, 17, who lost her sister and cousin in the massacre. before council.
“How can I stop grieving, especially knowing that he did nothing to protect my sister, my cousin, her friends and her teachers?”
Martin Herrera, who lost a grandson in the shooting, told the Times that Arredondo’s resignation was the right move for the city as it slowly recovers from the tragedy.
Leonard Sandoval, who also lost a grandson in the shooting, told the paper that Arredondo “should have resigned much sooner.”
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