Texas DPS director says he wished his agency had managed police response to Uvalde shooting
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As the state’s top law enforcement agency faces increasing scrutiny for its role in the failed police response to the massive Uvalde school shooting in May, the agency’s director Steve McCullough told USA Today that he wanted state police to take control of the operation.
McCraw sitting with the press Extended interview published on Sundaylargely blaming local police for not acting quickly to stop the shooter. But when USA Today asked why his agency didn’t take over the reins of the police response, McCraw said. “I wish we had.”
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law enforcement waited over an hour Standing up to the shooter who killed 21 people at Robb Elementary School on May 24th. This is in contrast to aggressive shooter training, which teaches officers to take down shooters as quickly as possible.
Of the 376 police officers who arrived at the school, 91 were state police. State agencies have played a leading role in past tragedies, including the 2013 fertilizer factory explosion in West and his 2018 Santa Fe High School shooting.
Ann Research by The Texas Tribune and ProPublica McCraw and DPS found that by controlling the records that would be made public and shaping a narrative that viewed local police as incompetent, they largely avoided scrutiny and deflected responsibility for the agency’s response to the shootings. Government agencies have refused to answer questions from the Tribune and ProPublica for three months.
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On Tuesday, DPS announced the following: Officially investigate 5 troopers Two of them were suspended on pay because of their actions during the shooting, the DPS told USA Today on Friday two more officers are investigating. According to news outlets, he is the commander of two of the seven troopers under investigation.
McCraw also detailed DPS’ actions on the day of filming. Upon learning of the shooting, McCraw said he ordered Victor Escalon, DPS Regional Director for South Texas, to go to the scene. McCraw did not previously say how he communicated with Escalon. Chaotic press conference two days after shooting First, he raised questions about conflicting information shared by authorities about law enforcement responses. McCullough recently claimed that Escalon was never fired and that Escalon’s behavior that day was appropriate.
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Additionally, McCraw told USA Today that the agency’s first captain was not on site until 12:25 p.m., about an hour after the standoff.However, the record reviewed by the Tribune show DPS Special Agents arrived about 20 minutes after filming began.
In the aftermath of the shooting, McCullough Diverted responsibility for unorganized and delayed police response to Pete Arredondo, the police chief of the Uvalde School, who was fired last month.macro said during testimony in the Senate In June, Arredondo was the only obstacle between the armed police and the 18-year-old shooter.
But McLaw recently told CNN He plans to resign if an investigation into the shooting concludes that police officers are “somewhat responsible.” with a late reply.
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In an internal email to DPS employees in June, McClow said all response agencies shared responsibility for failures during the shooting. We plan to provide appropriate guidance for recognizing and overcoming inadequate leadership decisions during critical shooter emergencies.
The internal DPS emails came after a Texas House Commission report criticized law enforcement agencies, including the DPS, for not providing Arredondo’s assistance in the incident command.
in the minutes At a state police captains’ meeting in mid-August, McLaw said “no one will lose their jobs” based on their response to the shootings, and all leaders in the region said “they should.” I did it,” he reportedly said. I stepped up to face the moment. ” McLough in recent times told CNN He was misquoted, and his comment only referred to DPS Regional Director Escalon.
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Full program for 2022 published Texas Tribune Festival, taking place September 22-24 in Austin. Inside tracks for the 2022 elections and the 2023 legislative session, the state of public and higher education institutions at this stage of the pandemic, why Texas suburbs are booming, why broadband, and more, the 100 things planned for TribFest Check out the schedule of mind-expanding conversations above. Access issues, the legacy of slavery, what really happened at Uvalde, and more. See program.
Correction September 11, 2022: An earlier version of this article incorrectly stated that the Texas Department of Public Safety suspended two police officers without pay in connection with their conduct during the Uvalde shooting. Two police officers were suspended on pay.
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https://www.ksat.com/news/texas/2022/09/11/texas-dps-director-says-he-wishes-his-agency-had-taken-control-over-the-police-response-to-the-uvalde-shooting/ Texas DPS director says he wished his agency had managed police response to Uvalde shooting