UVALDE, Texas -- Five
Texas Department of Public Safety officers who responded to the Uvalde
school shooting in May will face an investigation into their actions at
Robb Elementary, the agency said.
The
officers were referred to the inspector general's office, which will
determine if the officers violated any policies in their response to the
deadliest school shooting in Texas history, said DPS spokesperson
Travis Considine. The inspector general's office will also determine if
the five officers will face disciplinary actions.
The investigation was first reported by the Austin American-Statesman and KVUE.
More
than 300 law enforcement officers from two dozen local, state and
federal agencies responded to the shooting at Robb Elementary, where a
gunman killed 19 children and two teachers. A Texas House committee that
investigated the shooting found that after officers were initially
driven back by gunfire, they waited more than an hour to reengage the
gunman, a delay that could have cost lives.
Law
enforcement officers have faced fierce criticism for the delayed
response in confronting the gunman. Former Uvalde Consolidated
Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo testified
before the House committee that he believed the shooter was a
"barricaded subject" instead of an "active shooter" after seeing an
empty classroom next to the one where the shooter was when the gunman
had already fired off more than 100 rounds in less than three minutes.
Arredondo was largely blamed for the delayed confrontation and was fired last month.
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