Texas DPS head stated 'no one' will lose job after Uvalde, documents show
AUSTIN (Nexstar) — Documents show the head of Texas' top law enforcement agency said "no one is losing their jobs" over the response to the Uvalde school shooting massacre that killed 19 children and two teachers, according to notes, obtained by KXAN, from an internal DPS captain's meeting in August.
The documents reveal Director Steven McCraw told his staff that leaders overseeing the Uvalde region "did what they are supposed to do" and "stepped up to meet the moment," according to the meeting transcripts. At the same time, McCraw acknowledged the department will be changing protocol for active shooter response, after criticism of law enforcement response, on all levels.
"We had almost a hundred on sight [sic] and more on the way. Initial information was positive for law enforcement, but some was found to be inaccurate causing confusion," said the notes transcribed from meetings held on August 15 and 16. "We are not responding to critics in the media and politics, but are relying on the facts to come out from the investigation."
After saying DPS would wait on results from the agency's internal investigation into their response to the shooting at Robb Elementary, the notes outline that McCraw said "and oh, by the way, no one is losing their jobs."
"It will however change how we respond to active shooter events, as it should," he continued. "We should continue to our school safety program to be present on campuses when we can. Many schools are vulnerable."
On Tuesday, DPS announced five of its officers will be investigated by the Office of Inspector General regarding their actions during the response to the school shooting. Two of those officers were suspended with pay, pending the outcome of the investigation.
In July, DPS said an internal committee would review the actions of every trooper, special agent and Texas Ranger who responded to Robb Elementary to determine if officers violated policy or their rapid response training, according to the same email. Still, McCraw and his agency have largely blamed local Uvalde police officers for delayed action, despite DPS responders outnumbering them 2:1.
A Texas House committee investigation found that after officers were initially held back by gunfire, they waited more than an hour before taking action against the gunman. More than 370 law enforcement officers responded to the massacre.
The investigation indicated the delays stemmed from confusion over who was actually in command of the scene. Last month, the school board fired embattled Uvalde CISD Police Chief Pete Arredondo over how he handled the response. Arredondo has disputed points in the state lawmakers’ report.
This is a breaking news story. Check back for updates.