Police Commissioner Uvalde announces resignation

The police chief in Uvalde, Texas, who was out of town during the school shooting that killed 21 people in May 2022, announced Tuesday he would resign. His resignation is the latest fallout from law enforcement unrest over the time it took officers to confront the gunman.

The chief, Daniel Rodriguez, did not give a reason for his decision to resign.

His department and others who responded that day were criticized for the more than 70 minutes it took officers to enter classrooms where the gunman was holed up with teachers and students. His announcement comes less than a week after a city investigation found that Uvalde officers who responded to the scene acted in good faith and did not violate department policy.

Mr. Rodriguez, who has been police chief since 2018, was in Arizona at the time of the shooting but was in contact with the officer he put in charge, Lt. Mariano Pargas Jr. Mr. Pargas resigned in November 2022 after 18 years on the force and has since been re-elected as county commissioner.

“After deep contemplation and consideration, I believe it is time for me to embrace a new chapter in my career,” Mr. Rodriguez said in a letter announcing his resignation on Tuesday.

Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith said the chief’s resignation would take effect April 6. He said Homer Delgado, an assistant police chief, would serve as interim police chief while the city searched for a new leader.

“Nothing is more important than the safety of our community, and we look forward to working together to identify the best candidate to serve the people of Uvalde,” Mr. Smith said in a statement.

On May 24, 2022, a teenage gunman armed with an AR-15 style rifle climbed over a low fence and entered Robb Elementary School through an unlocked door. He unleashed a barrage of bullets, killing 19 children and two teachers and wounding 17 other people.

More than 370 officers from local, state and federal agencies gathered at the scene but did not attempt to confront the shooter for more than an hour

The city held a special meeting last week to announce the results of a two-year investigation into the shooting. At the meeting, an investigator hired by the city — Jesse Prado, a retired Austin police detective — said his findings showed that while law enforcement made many documented mistakes that day, Mr. Pargas and the more than two dozen other officers on the city force had acted in good faith and did not violate department protocol.

The city’s findings, included in a 182-page report released Thursday, are the third major investigation into the slow police response. Two previous investigations, one by a state commission and the other by the U.S. Department of Justice, concluded that the police response was marked by a series of leadership failures, poor decision-making and a lack of training.

Other studies are underway. Local District Attorney Christina Mitchell has convened a grand jury to hear testimony to determine whether criminal charges should be filed against officers who responded that day. The Texas Department of Public Safety, which also sent officers to the scene, has not yet released the results of its investigation.

In the days after the shooting, much of the blame for the slow police response fell on Pete Arredondo, the small school district’s chief of police, who many considered the incident commander. He was fired by the school district shortly thereafter. The district later dismantled the entire police force, which consisted of five officers, and hired new officers.

The Texas Department of Public Safety has removed at least two of the seven officers under investigation for their roles in the response, including Sgt. Juan Maldonado and a Texas Ranger, Christopher Ryan Kindell.

Uvalde County Sheriff Ruben Nolasco and Uvalde County Constable Emmanuel Zamora have been criticized for their roles in the police response and are still trying to retain their elected posts. Sheriff Nolasco heads toward a May primary; Zamora won the Republican primary for his post on Tuesday.

Relatives of the victims demand full responsibility for the police response. Jesse Rizo, whose niece Jackie Cazares was killed in the shooting, said he hoped other officers would be fired or otherwise punished.

“Ultimately, these people, from the top down, need to be held accountable,” he said. As for Chief Rodriguez, he said, “His departure is long overdue.”