What did Pete Arredondo do? Uvalde School District police chief placed on administrative leave following the mass shooting

Pete Arredondo, the Uvalde school district police chief, has been placed on administrative leave following the mass shooting where 19 children and two educators were brutally killed by a gunman who marched onto the Texas school campus.

Uvalde district superintendent, Dr. Harrell, said in a statement,

“Although the district wanted to wait for the investigation into law enforcement’s responses to the deadly mass shooting to be completed before making any decisions, he went ahead and placed Arredondo on leave because of the lack of clarity that remains and the unknown timing of when the investigation will conclude.”

He went on to say that the suspension is effective immediately, and Lieutenant Mike Hernandez will fill his position while he is on leave. It's uncertain if Arredondo has been given paid or unpaid leave.

He concluded,

“Lieutenant Mike Hernandez will assume the duties of the UCISD Chief of Police. We will continue to seek out qualified candidates to join our police department as we prepare for the new school year.”

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Pete Arredondo received withering criticism for his handling of the Uvalde school shooting

Arredondo, the head of the Uvalde school police, has drawn backlash for handling the Robb Elementary School massacre, which resulted in 21 deaths.

After the horrific incident, the Texas Police Department, particularly Arredondo, came under fire for delaying the capture of Salvador Ramos, the 18-year-old gunman.

According to reports, Mr. Arredondo, the Uvalde police chief in charge of the incident, determined that the officers should wait before confronting the attacker.

Steve McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said in a press conference last month that Mr. Arredondo's apparent decision to redefine the scenario from an "active shooter" to a "barricaded suspect" standoff has been one of the most significant criticisms leveled at him.

McCraw said after the attack,

"From the benefit of hindsight where I am sitting now, of course, it was not the right decision. It was the wrong decision. Period. There's not excuse for that!"

Pete Arredondo was chastised for the outcome of his decision in the aftermath of the Uvalde school shooting. Many demanded that he step down from his position as Uvalde police chief, citing his careless behavior in the face of danger.

Speaking to the Tribune through his attorney, Mr. Arredodo denied the accusations against him. He questioned the scenario, claiming that he was unaware that he was in charge of the responses and that another officer had assumed the role. He continued by asserting that he never advised police to refrain from trying to break into the school's grounds.

He said,

"None of the accusations were accurate. Not a single responding officer ever hesitated, even for a moment, to put themselves at risk to save the children."

Texas Governor Greg Abbott ordered a thorough inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the shooting at Robb Elementary School. He did, however, admit that he could not decide the fate of the school district's police chief.