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The Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District announced in a statement Friday that they have suspended their entire police department for the response to the school shooting five months ago.
“The District remains committed to resolving issues with verifiable evidence. Decisions concerning the UCISD police department have been pending the results of the Texas Police Chiefs Association and JPPI investigation. Recent developments have uncovered additional concerns with department operations,” the school district said in a statement.
The police department has been under investigation by the Texas Police Chiefs Association since the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary that left 19 children and two teachers dead.
The Uvalde School District also placed Lt. Miguel Hernandez and Ken Mueller on administrative leave. Mueller chose to retire instead.
Uvalde School District makes final decision on police department
In August, the Uvalde school board voted unanimously to fire Police Chief Pete Arredondo after alleging he made several critical mistakes during the worst school shooting in US history.
Arredondo was not present at the closed session meeting but issued a 17-page statement through his lawyer, George Hyde.
“Chief Arredondo will not participate in his own illegal and unconstitutional public lynching and respectfully requests the Board immediately reinstate him, with all backpay and benefits and close the complaint as unfounded,” the statement reads.
The Uvalde, Texas, school board unanimously fired the district’s police chief Pete Arrendondo on Wednesday after allegations he made several critical mistakes during the deadly Robb Elementary shooting. https://t.co/iHZnVNB1As pic.twitter.com/KRseT6S40U
— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 25, 2022
A blistering report released in July by a Texas House Committee noted “systemic failures and egregiously poor decision making” by police and the school district.
The report showed that nearly 400 law enforcement officials were on the scene at Robb Elementary during the 1 hour and 17 minutes the shooter remained in the school.
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