Uvalde police chief who delayed officer response to Texas capturing to hitch City Council

The police chief who reportedly made the decision not to instantly send officers into Robb Elementary School to confront a gunman was elected to Uvalde's Metropolis Council simply three weeks ago after operating on a platform of communication and outreach to the community. 

Peter Arredondo, the chief of police for the Uvalde Consolidated Unbiased College District, stopped no less than 19 officers from breaking into the varsity as the gunman opened hearth for at least an hour.

Arredondo believed that the shooter had barricaded himself and that the youngsters were not under an lively threat, Steven McCraw, the director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, said Friday. 

“From the benefit of hindsight where I’m sitting now, of course, it was not the suitable choice. It was a flawed determination. Period. There was no excuse for that,” McCraw stated at a information conference. “There were plenty of officers to do what needed to be performed, with one exception, is that the incident commander inside believed he wanted more gear and extra officers to do a tactical breach at that time."

In line with McCraw, Arredondo believed there was no lively risk, so instead of sending officers in, he frolicked finding keys that may let him into the varsity. During this time, however, the shooter had unencumbered access to hold out the attack. Nineteen students and two teachers had been killed.

Arredondo was not current among law enforcement officials standing with McCraw on Friday, and McCraw did not explicitly identify him.

Arredondo didn't instantly return a request for comment by NBC News.

As the group demands solutions and items together a shaky and conflicting timeline of events, scrutiny has turned to Arredondo, who was born and raised in Uvalde. 

After working as the police captain on the United Independent College District in Laredo, Texas, about 140 miles south of Uvalde, Arredondo returned to his hometown in April 2020, when he accepted the place of chief of police for the Uvalde college district, according to the Uvalde Leader-Information.

The former chief, Leo Flores, resigned after being arrested on expenses of unlawfully carrying a gun in a bar and threatening an officer, the newspaper reported. 

Arredondo informed the Chief-Information that he was eager to serve the community, saying he was committed to establishing a powerful working relationship with the three officers he could be leading. 

“We need to be sure we can be found wherever we are wanted,” Arredondo told the newspaper.

As Arredondo’s tenure hit two years, his native likability led to a profitable bid for a City Council seat this month. He beat out three other candidates, garnering almost 70 % of the vote within the Could 7 election, reported the Uvalde Chief-News. 

The chief campaigned, largely door-to-door, on communication and outreach “to those in need,” the newspaper said. 

“I’m very excited, I am able to hit the bottom working. I've plenty of ideas, and I definitely have plenty of drive,” Arredondo informed the outlet this month.

Arredondo is scheduled to be sworn onto the council on Tuesday, precisely one week after the Uvalde taking pictures.

Safia Samee Ali is a reporter for NBC News Digital, based in Chicago.