Further, the probable cause affidavits for the arrests of Barbarito Pantoja and Nathaniel Seth Montelongo, both 17 years old, show that the investigator Sgt. He told us his resignation was accepted at last night's city council meeting. I was scared to tell somebody because he was going to fire me," Stepney said.
He All rights reserved. Five months after the attack, the Uvalde school district suspended its entire police department after it was revealed it had hired then fired a former Department of Public Safety trooper who had been one of the first police officers on-scene. If he's not fired by noon tomorrow, then I want your resignation and every single one of you board members because y'all do not give a damn about our children or us," Cross said at the time. This may be called Tools or use an icon like the cog. Elizondo is one of those under internal investigation, according to Texas Department of Public Safety records. "He must be the only individual of Cuban background in the world who doesn't know that," Carollo said. Arredondo, who has been on leave from the district since 22 June, has come under the most intense scrutiny of the nearly 400 officers who rushed to the school but waited more than an hour to confront the 18-year-old gunman in a fourth-grade classroom, even as parents outside reportedly begged them to take action. All rights reserved. (credit: KHOU). UVALDE The Uvalde school board agreed Wednesday to fire Pete Arredondo, the school district police chief broadly criticized for his response to the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, in a vote that came shortly after he asked to be taken off of suspension and receive backpay. Both incidents have arisen as state lawmakers wrestle with how to keep Texass nearly 80,000 peace officers accountable for their behavior.
Manager Azra Habibija was arrested by the Dallas County Sheriffs Department on Dec. 25, according to court records. Thanks for contacting us. He was placed on administrative leave a few hours after firing Stepney. Arredondo's removal caps three months of outrage over the botched law enforcement response to the shooting at Robb Elementary School, which killed 19 children and two teachers. Carollo, the most vocal politician opposing Acevedo's leadership, scrutinized an older photo where the police chief was seen using a "white power" hand gesture similar to the OK hand sign, saying a Miami officer was relieved of duty by Acevedo after being accused of using the same gesture. They know that I would never do what the city manager claims," Guerrero said. A former small-town police chief from West Texas has been convicted of a federal charge after being accused of what a prosecutor called a despicable abuse of A Galveston beach house is on the market after a major remodel. Arredondos attorney wrote in the statement that he was being treated as a fall guy and sacrificial lamb. The upper chamber unanimously passed Senate Bill 182 after The Texas Tribune reported that a state-licensed foster care facility hired a caretaker whom the However, written accounts from several people who attended the police department meeting the following day May 25 appear to indicate that Guerrero was first informed of the mass shooting threat during that meeting. They say that was similar to the incident that led to Acevedo's firing of the husband and wife police officers. By Alex Johnson. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. 
As for why she was fired, Rougeau said it was only based on her performance, citing in her termination papers that she had several previous written warnings for breaking department policies. During a separate disciplinary hearing Thursday, the chief also fired a Dallas police employee whod been arrested on a charge of driving while intoxicated.
MIAMI, Fla. (CBSDFW.COM/AP) He lead the largest police department in Texas for more than four years, now officials in Florida have decided to fire Chief Art Acevedo six months into his stormy tenure. At least three other police employees are being criminally investigated in connection with the scheme, which Dallas police began investigating in 2020. TEXAS OFFICIALS: UVALDE SHOOTING REPORT REVEALS 'MULTIPLE SYSTEMIC FAILURES', This image from video released by the City of Uvalde, Texas, shows Texas Department of Public Safety trooper Crimson Elizondo responding to a shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022. But Acevedo began making waves almost immediately after he was sworn in in April by taking over internal affairs and making significant changes to his command staff. Chief Arredondo will not participate in his own illegal and unconstitutional public lynching, his attorney, George Hyde, wrote in the statement. The police pyramid scheme became publicly known in 2021 when Wells and at least 12 other employees were placed on leave. Eric Gay/AP. You've successfully subscribed to this newsletter! Houston woman killed during gunfight outside apartment parking He was placed on paid administrative leave in June. I promise you that.". He said that as a former marine, he took an oath that he faithfully executed willingly, and did not understand why officers did not take action when leadership failed. 2023 FOX News Network, LLC. Lt. It says that under the district's active shooterplan, Arredondo would have been the incident commander, but he "did not assume his preassigned responsibility of incident command." A LinkedIn profile noted shed worked with the Dallas police financial and contract management team. Those residents promised to be there again for Guerrero when the city council holds a special meeting on Thursday. Indeed, two of the statements appear to show that it was school district police, not Guerrero, who were slow to respond to the situation.
Hooks paid a visit to Donna High School that morning, where he conducted a "non-custodial" interview with Montelongo and found the threat to be credible. Yet, Arredondo maintains he did not know he was the incident commander. Chief Joseph Salvaggio is no longer with the Leon Valley Police Department. The first item on the agenda involves potentially reinstating Guerrero as police chief. The Associated Press contributed to this report. The city of Floresville, which had hired him months later, fired Luckhurst after the report was published. The Uvalde school police chief, Pete Arredondo, third from left, stands during a news conference outside of the Robb Elementary school in Uvalde, Texas. The Associated Press AUSTIN, Texas -- The Texas Department of Public Safety fired an officer Friday who was at the scene of the Uvalde school massacre and All rights reserved. At least two of the witnesses agree that Guerrero referred to the matter as "ISD traffic," though none of the three statements obtained by The Monitor indicate that Guerrero dissuaded Hooks from investigating. Arredondos attorney, George Hyde, did not immediately respond to a request for comment; nor didthe Uvalde CISD communications officer. That charge is pending, according to the documents. In a unanimous vote held after months of angry calls for his ouster, the Uvalde consolidated independent school districts board of trustees fired Arredondo in an auditorium of parents and survivors of the 24 May massacre. Wells alleged involvement in the scheme was not immediately clear. However, according to the districts own progress reports, as of Tuesday no fencing had been erected at six of the eight campuses where it was planned, and cameras had only been installed at the high school. The Uvalde school district fired police chief, Pete Arredondo, on Wednesday, making him the first officer to lose his job over the hesitant and fumbled response by law enforcement at a Texas elementary school as a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in a fourth-grade classroom. Instead, campuses elsewhere in Uvalde will serve as temporary classrooms for elementary school students, not all of whom are willing to return to school in-person following after the shooting. Pete Arredondo, the police chief in charge of the law enforcement response to the May 24 shooting at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, has been fired. SHERMAN, Texas (KXII) - The new Sherman Police Department headquarters is just 3 miles away from the old location in Downtown. Not to be a politician. The Uvalde school board voted unanimously Wednesday evening to immediately terminate the contract of district police chief Pete Arredondo, three months Whether or not he had Guerrero's blessing to conduct the investigation, Det. A Dallas County grand jury last year indicted Jones, as well as Reserve Officer Brad Deason and civilian employee Sonja Davis, on charges of promoting the pyramid scheme. The timeline and the narrative of what occurred as described by officials also changed after the shooting. All Rights Reserved. From the time police entered the building May 24, 1 hour, 14 minutes and 8 seconds passed until the gunman was killed. Published: Mar. By signing up you agree to ourTerms of ServiceandPrivacy Policy. Hyde called Arredondo a leader and a courageous officer who with all of the other law enforcement officers who responded to the scene, should be celebrated for the lives saved, instead of vilified for those they couldnt reach in time. And now, probable cause affidavits filed in support of the arrests of two of the men suspected of planning the mass shooting appear to contradict the dereliction of duty allegations launched against Guerrero by interim City Manager Frank Perez. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Mutual Fund and ETF data provided by Refinitiv Lipper. One officer, Reginald Jones, was jailed after police said hed helped promote and organize the scheme. Uvalde school police Chief Pedro Pete Arredondo listens during news conference at Uvalde County Fairplex after 19 students and two teachers were killed in the shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022, in Uvalde. My mind was to get there as fast as possible, eliminate any threats, and protect the students and staff, Arredondo said. Powered and implemented by FactSet Digital Solutions. Jennifer Wells, hired in January 2007, involved at least a dozen other DPD employees, which Dallas police began investigating in 2020, was jailed after police said hed helped promote and organize the scheme, Dallas County grand jury last year indicted Jones, Mavericks are organically tanking, but Luka Doncic cant shoulder all the blame, PolitiFact: Trumps indictment explained, from prosecutors challenges to whats next, Texas Senate gives initial passage to bill to sack DAs for not prosecuting crimes, Our departing columnist explores Dallas growth story: The business of Texas is business, Texas Senate passes expanded bills to restrict drag, sexual conduct in front of minors, Staffing firm Arthur Grand says former employee behind viral, racist job posting, Groups will vie for piece of $1 million pie to revitalize Dallas neighborhoods, Storied Uptown tower joins list of offices getting a makeover, For 30 students, the All Stars Project readies them for Dallas workplaces, This company is trying to sublease over 400,000 square feet of office space in D-FW, Costco stakes out a new location in fast-growing Prosper, Fentanyl is killing thousands of Americans. Turn in your badge and step down. Habibijas attorney could not immediately be reached for comment. Select the option or tab named Internet Options (Internet Explorer), Options (Firefox), Preferences (Safari) or Settings (Chrome). IE 11 is not supported. Art Acevedo was recruited by Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, who earlier this year hailed him as "America's best chief." "I just froze up, and he just started making it a hostile environment. That study also calculated about 3 percent of discharged police received a dishonorable status. Guerrero, who was also at the protest Tuesday morning, said he was humbled by the show of support. ", Cross said he doesn't buy Arredondo not showing up to his termination hearings out of fear for his safety, saying during Wednesday's public comments that Arredondo was not present "to face the consequences to his actions. Carollo and the other two Cuban American commissioners said they were deeply offended when reports emerged last month that Acevedo talked to officers about a "Cuban mafia" that runs the city. (City of Uvalde via AP). Texas police chief arrested, then resigns after girlfriend said he lived a double life By Mike Stunson. Tim Stelloh is a breaking news reporter for NBC News Digital. At one of those meetings, videos were played of Acevedo impersonating Elvis Presley dancing the "Jailhouse Rock" in the iconic white jumpsuit and entering a dance floor of a fundraiser, slapping a woman's rear with a piece of paper. She said the information she learned about Rougeau is why he exaggerated his allegations against her. Soon after, DPS terminated officer Juan Jose Maldonado for his performance at the shooting. Ending Texas 'tampon tax ' gains momentum in Legislature on the agenda potentially... 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I trusted him. Under Texas law, operating a pyramid scheme or recruiting people to take part in one is a state jail felony, punishable by six months to two years in state jail and a fine of up to $10,000.
A Texas police chief has reportedly resigned after being arrested and then placed on administrative leave amid social media accusations regarding his allegedly duplicitous personal life. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, 2 min read. Uvalde schools police chief Pete Arredondo was fired Wednesday by the Texas citys school board. Heavily armed law enforcement personnel arrived at the school within minutes of the attack, but police did not breach the classroom and confront the gunman for more than an hour, a response that has been widely criticized as a failure to enact the active shooter protocols developed in the wake of the 1999 Columbine school shooting. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The families of the 21 victims of the mass shooting at Robb Elementary have been demanding Arredondo be fired since news first broke in late May that the police chief was in charge of the law enforcement response during the shooting. UVALDE SCHOOL DISTRICT FIRES NEW POLICE OFFICER WHO IS UNDER INVESTIGATION BY TEXAS DPS. His firing came three months to the day after one of the deadliest classroom shootings in US history. At two raucous meetings over the past month, commissioners attacked Acevedo and his leadership, appointing themselves to an investigative committee with subpoena power to examine his appointment. Despite growing calls for action following the shooting, Uvalde Superintendent Hal Harrell waited almost two months to recommend Arredondo's termination. Get all the stories you need-to-know from the most powerful name in news delivered first thing every morning to your inbox. But Perez, who said he didn't try to get Guerrero's side of the story before firing him, said that's unlikely to happen. Market data provided by Factset. Arredondo resigned from the Uvalde City Council on July 2. The superintendent had previously said the school district would wait until the investigation into the massacre was complete before it made personnel decisions. Cut Pre-Employment Background Investigation Time in Half, Digital Edition: Police1 guide to patrol vehicle electrification, Some residents are rallying behind Donna Police Chief Gilbert Guerrero, who they say was wrongfully fired, Dina Arvalo
Not to be a critic for any elected official, the judges and the state attorney. When news broke that Arredondo would not be attending the meeting, some in the auditorium, including parents of victims, screamed, Coward! and What about our children?. Texas lawmakers tough love for schools shows in dueling rallies, Ending Texas 'tampon tax' gains momentum in Legislature. In an eight-page memo sent by Acevedo to the city manager and mayor before those meetings, Acevedo stated that Carollo and the other commissioners were interfering with internal affairs investigations, and improperly ordering police resources to be deployed against certain establishments "based on nothing more than the whims of commissioners." "We are confident that staff and student safety will not be compromised during this transition," the district said. Angry and heartbroken parents expressed their outrage to the school board last month, calling for the school superintendent to be fired and for trustees to step down. ", canceled at the request of Arredondo's attorney, Texas artists honor the Uvalde victims with 21 murals they hope will help healing. He was fired from his position as the Oak Ridge police chief after the incident. Unfortunately, it wont, Hyde said. "I'm probably the only one who can hire and fire and reinstate.
The DEA needs a clear strategy. Feb. 21, 2023 Updated: Feb. 21, 2023 1:58 p.m. 4. Aaron Rucker, hired in December 2006, Lt. Giovanni Wells, hired in January 2007, Sgt. Few public officials have been as pilloried as Pedro Pete Arredondo. In December, Hearst Newspapers revealed how former San Antonio officer Matthew Luckhurst was able to keep working as a licensed Texas peace officer after being fired for giving a homeless man a sandwich with feces in it and then later smearing a a brown substance with the consistency of tapioca on a womens toilet seat. Perez has claimed that Guerrero ignored the information one of his investigators shared with him and "ordered his officers not to pursue the anonymous caller's tip(s)" during a morning meeting of the department's ranked officers, according to a memo Perez wrote. Sie knnen Ihre Einstellungen jederzeit ndern, indem Sie auf unseren Websites und Apps auf den Link Datenschutz-Dashboard klicken.
