Uvalde School Police Chief Tells Investigators Why He Didn’t Stop Gunman, Per CNN: ‘Probably Going To Be Some Deceased In There’
CNN obtained footage of former Uvalde school police chief Pete Arredondo where the officer explained his decision to not confront a gunman at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.
The shooter barricaded himself in a classroom full of students in his rampage in May of last year. While in the room, students were calling the police while officers remained outside the room. Arredondo came under heavy scrutiny following the shooting, revealing later he had no radio contact while inside the school and he was not aware he was the officer in charge of the scene.
Arredondo’s comments to investigators aren’t likely to clear up any confusion over his actions as the officer said his decision to not breach the room the gunman held up in was deliberate.
“Once I realized that was going on, my first thought is that we need to vacate. We have him contained – and I know this is horrible and I know it’s [what] our training tells us to do but – we have him contained, there’s probably going to be some deceased in there, but we don’t need any more from out here,” Arredondo said, according to an exclusive report from CNN.
Arredondo told investigators he prioritized evacuating the school over confronting the shooter. He was ultimately fired from his position in August of last year.
Arredondo admitted at one point he understood criticism over his actions, despite believing he has a perfectly suitable explanation.
“We’re going to get scrutinized, I’m expecting that. We’re getting scrutinized for why we didn’t go in there,” he said. Arredondo also admitted at one point to hearing the barricaded gunman reload his weapon, but still the police chief took no action.
As is noted in the CNN report from , and , Arredondo did not follow the typical protocol for an active shooter event.
From CNN:
His decision to treat the gunman as a barricaded subject and not confront him effectively left all the students and teachers in Classrooms 111 and 112 for dead. It was one of many times he did not follow the training and protocol for an active shooter.
Arredondo stuck with that choice for over an hour, even when he thought he heard the gunman reloading and after it was confirmed children were trapped – injured and alive as well as dead – with the shooter.
Watch above via CNN
