Uvalde police chief misses another city council meeting

UVALDE, Texas (NewsNation) — Pete Arredondo, the school district police chief criticized for waiting too long before ordering law enforcement to confront and kill the gunman during a mass shooting at a Texas elementary school, did not appear at a second city council meeting on Thursday.

If Arredondo misses a third straight meeting, the council could declare his seat vacant.

Arredondo was sworn in as city councilman on May 31, one week after the attack at Robb Elementary school that left 19 children and two teachers dead.

The Uvalde City Council on June 21 voted unanimously against giving Arredondo a leave of absence from appearing at public meetings. Relatives of the shooting victims had pleaded with city leaders to instead fire him.

“Please, please, we’re begging you, get this man out of our lives,” said Berlinda Arreola, the grandmother of Amerie Jo Garza, a 10-year-old who was fatally shot in the attack.

Sen. Paul Bettencourt told the state Senate hearing that Arredondo should have stepped down straight away.

“This man should have removed himself from the job immediately because, just looking at his response, he was incapable of it,” Bettencourt said.

Arredondo and his lawyer have declined repeated requests for comment from The Associated Press.

Lawmakers and the public have demanded authorities provide more information about their response to the shooting. Many parents and relatives of children and staff have expressed anger over long delays in police action after the gunman entered Robb Elementary and began shooting.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.