Uvalde Suspends Entire School Police Department

UVALDE, TX — The Uvalde school district will suspend its police department, citing newly uncovered operational concerns, officials said Friday.

In the announcement, shared on Twitter by KSAT’s Leigh Waldman, the district also said that Lt. Miguel Hernandez and Ken Mueller had been put on administrative leave, with Mueller opting to retire. The remaining officers will fill other roles in the district.

With no police force, the school system requested additional state troopers to provide law enforcement assistance for campus and extracurricular activities. The move comes about four months after 19 children and two teachers were killed in the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde.

• Related: Texas School Shooting: 19 Children Killed In Uvalde

The district intends to rebuild the department and hire a new chief following an ongoing review by the Texas Police Chiefs Association. Former chief Pete Arredondo, identified by state officials as the incident commander responsible for the delayed response to the shooting, was previously fired, according to The New York Times.

The department’s suspension Friday came after CNN reported earlier in the week that a new district police officer was one of seven state officers being investigated in connection with the May shooting. The former trooper, Crimson Elizondo, was among the first to arrive at Robb Elementary and one of the 376 police personnel who were involved in the “abject failure” of the 77 minutes that elapsed before authorities stopped the gunman, according to CNN.

“If my son had been in there, I would not have been outside,” Elizondo was heard telling fellow officers on a body camera recording, CNN reported. “I promise you that.”

Elizondo arrived at the school but failed to get her tactical armor or long rifle in accordance with training, according to CNN, nor did she immediately approach the building.

She was fired by the district Thursday, but the school police department knew as soon as July 28 about the investigation, according to CNN.

The situation has sparked outrage from Uvalde parents,

“What mother would leave another mother’s babies in those rooms to die!” tweeted Gloria Cazares, whose daughter, Jackie, was killed in the shooting. “This is proof that @Uvalde_CISD does not care about our children. How can she resign from DPS during an investigation and get hired to work @Uvalde_CISD.”

Kimberly Garcia, whose daughter, Amerie, also died in the massacre, shared similar sentiments.

“It wasn't your baby, right?” Garcia tweeted Wednesday. “That's why you didn't go in ‘Officer Elizondo’? She was there WITHIN MINUTES? But her child wasn't in there so it didn't matter.”

Also Friday, Waldman tweeted a leaked internal memo, indicating Uvalde Superintendent Hal Harrell is beginning to take steps to retire.