A deputy Texas sheriff from a neighboring force, who was sent to help the Uwalde Police Department last month after the massacre that killed 19 children and two teachers, was fired after being arrested for drunkenness.
The Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office said this week that Christopher Lofton was no longer a member of the force and had been “permanently relieved of his duties” after the force conducted an internal investigation into the June 2 incident, in which the then deputy was sufficient drunk to be considered a “danger to oneself and others.”
“Deputy Lofton was out of work at the time of the incident and was immediately removed from Uwalde’s mission and was arrested for public intoxication by local Uwalde County law enforcement because of his misconduct,” said Sheriff Bo Stallman in a statement.
The two-year veteran was sent to help the Uwalde Police Department on May 31 and was part of a team of eight patrol deputies and two dispatchers who responded to a state call for help after one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history tore elementary school Rob.
On June 4, the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office announced that the deputy had been charged and remanded in custody following a June 2 incident reportedly in temporary housing in Uwalde County.
The sheriff’s office said then-Deputy Christopher Lofton was drunk enough to be considered a danger to himself and others.
(Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office)
Authorities say Mr. Lofton was immediately relieved of his duties after an internal investigation concluded that he had violated a number of departmental policies without revealing which specific policies the employee had violated.
The Independent contacted the Brazoria County Sheriff’s Office for comment.
Mr Lofton’s termination comes as Texas law enforcement officials across the state have come under intense scrutiny over how slow they have responded to the downing of an armed teenager who opened fire on a fourth-grade class in Uwalde and killed 21 victims.
Uwalde District Police Chief Pete Aredondo, who received the lion’s share of the blame for the slow response of the forces, recently gave his first extended interview about his account of what happened on this deadly day.
Speaking to the Texas Tribune, the police chief denied allegations that he was an on-site officer responsible for directing officers’ response.
Speaking to the Tribune through his lawyer, George E. Hyde, Mr Aredondo told the news agency that he had never considered himself the commander of the incident, nor had he instructed the police not to try to break into the school.
“I have not issued any orders,” he said, stressing that he and his colleagues had done what they could based on the information they had during the mass shooting.
“No one in charge has hesitated, even for a moment, to take risks to save the children,” Mr Aredondo said.
At the request of the mayor of Uwalde, the response of the police department is now being considered by the Ministry of Justice.
“The purpose of the review is to provide an independent account of law enforcement actions and responses that day and to identify lessons learned and best practices to help responders prepare and respond to active shooters.” spokesman Anthony Collie said in a statement. last month. “The review will be conducted by the Department’s Community-Oriented Police Service.”
Add Comment