Former police chief appears in court for first time after being charged with Uvalde massacre

More than two years after the Robb Elementary School massacre that killed 19 children and two teachers, Pete Arredondo pleaded not guilty to several counts of child endangerment and child abandonment.

The 2022 attack was one of the worst school shootings in U.S. history, and the police response was heavily criticized for “cascading failures” in the training, communication and leadership of officers who waited outside as victims lay dying and begged for help.

Arredondo’s lawyers have since asked for the charges against him to be dismissed, arguing that the former Uvalde School District police chief should not be held accountable for actions he did not take on May 24, 2022.

Arredondo claims he was made a “scapegoat” after the massacre, with nearly 400 federal, state and local officials waiting more than 70 minutes before intervening.

The indictment against Arredondo states that the Texan failed to follow his training on how to deal with rampages and made several critical decisions that actually delayed police response time.

Meanwhile, 18-year-old shooter Salvador Ramos went from classroom to classroom in his old elementary school, “hunting” his victims.

The judge did not rule on the motion on Monday. An investigation by U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Professional Responsibility released Thursday found similar failures in communication and leadership among border patrol agents.

The school’s former police chief and Adrian Gonzalez, another former Uvalde school police officer who was charged in 29 similar cases of endangerment and neglect, are the only two officers facing charges.