Police chief fired for late intervention in Ovaldi school massacre

The administration of that school fired a school district police chief in Ovaldi, Texas, where an elementary school attack occurred three months ago. The attack killed 19 children and two teachers. The investigation showed that the police intervened too late and that the gunman managed to continue for more than an hour.

The school board unanimously approved Pete Arredondo’s resignation Wednesday night local time. He is the first policeman to be fired for police work.

The man was responsible for the police intervention, according to the Texas Department of Security. Arredondo himself said earlier that he did not consider himself a leader that day, nor did he ask to wait to intervene.

A few days after the May 24 massacre, Texas police admitted that they waited too long to intervene. In July, this was confirmed again in an extensive investigative report. It stated that the 376 terrified officers intervened too late due to systematic errors and poor decision-making.

In the report, the investigative committee talked about the chaotic work of the police that allowed the attacker to do what he was doing for more than an hour before agents intervened and killed him. The report stated that the officers lacked leadership, lacked communication skills, and lacked urgency to stop the gunman.

CCTV footage of police action during the shooting shows heavily armed officers in the hallway in front of the classroom waiting to intervene, even if the gunman starts shooting again.

See the pictures for yourself here. It can be considered horrific.

Arredondo was not present at the judging. His lawyer had already read a 17-page A4 letter. She said Aridondo should be commended for the lives he saved and should not be punished for his actions.