Uvalde police chief's payment cut amid probe over school shooting: Report

Texas

Amid probe over shooting at Robb elementary school in Texas, officials said they have cut police chief Pedro Arredondo’s payment.

Lawmakers in Texas had earlier criticised Uvalde police officials for allegedly responding slowly to the shooting incident in which 19 children and two teachers were killed.

Also Read: Aware of injuries inside, Uvalde police waited to confront gunman

In a report, the Texas state House of Representatives detailed that 376 officers had responded to the shooting on May 24 even as the lawmakers described the incident as “chaotic” and said the officers had a “lackadaisical approach” to the gunman.

WATCH | Police response as video shows hesitant reaction to Uvalde school shooting

“The void of leadership could have contributed to the loss of life,” the report said. Arredondo, 50, was initially put on paid administrative leave, however, school district officials said it would now be unpaid. Arredondo was suspended pending the investigation and has been on leave since June 23.

The probe report said some victims could have been saved if they did not have to wait for 73 additional minutes for rescue as it stated that the officers failed to “prioritise saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety”.

Local media reported Uvalde police lieutenant Mariano Pargas, who was acting city police chief on the day of the attack, has been suspended.

A video earlier showed Texas police waited for over an hour before entering the classroom as the 18-year-old gunman went on a shooting rampage after he crashed his truck outside Robb Elementary School and entered the school building in the morning armed with a semi-automatic rifle. 

(With inputs from Agencies)

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