I heard the rumors over the last few days that the police were hesitating to go into the classroom in Uvalde, Texas, where a suicidal maniac was murdering children. This could not possibly be right, I thought this was merely an echo of another particular case where the police hesitated and children died.
I was waiting for the official word, knowing that the news ALWAYS gets the story wrong, and the sloppiness of journalists can make people go crazy angry about nothing and can even ruin people’s lives. I was reserving judgment.
It is official, the Uvalde School District police chief, Pedro “Pete” Arredondo made the decision not to breach the Uvalde elementary school classroom while a gunman was shooting children and teachers.
Despite repeated 911 calls from inside the classroom, police incorrectly thought no children were at risk.
What?
So they have an active shooter in a school during school hours and no children are at risk? Who makes that assumption? 19 officers stood in the hallway doing nothing, because Arredondo wanted to wait for a swat team. Children were calling 911 and begging the police to come.
And more children died.
I’m sorry, I see cowardice, I see ineptitude, I see criminal negligence, I see a billion dollar lawsuit. Every police officer involved should be fired. Each officer who failed to make the decision to move forward is culpable. Each officer who failed to investigate the scene to find out whether children were in danger is culpable.
This happened at the shooting in my area at the Stoneman Douglas High School. A Sheriff’s Deputy Scot Peterson, who held back when shots were being fired and kids were dying.
You will see from my writings that I am an ardent supporter of the police. I believe the “Defund the Police” movement is the stupidest, most naïve, most insane movement in American history.
But I also expect police to be a cut above. They have chosen to be the protectors of society and to put themselves in the line of fire rather than let civilians get hurt. Their code of honor (at least from my perception) would never allow children to come to harm.
I know that I still do not know all of the details of this situation, the press never gets its right, and the official word is not necessarily correct either, as Texas Governor Abbott found out. The courts will find out more, maybe a year from now.
My recommendation? Fire all 19 offices, fire, Arredondo, whoever is superiors are, and whoever was responsible for training these people. The whole mess has to go.
Uvalde Police Made ‘Wrong Decision’ in Waiting to Storm Shooter, Says Texas Official