Texas Governor: Uvalde video ‘shocking’ account of police response

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AUSTIN, Texas: Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on July 14 once more mentioned he was initially misled in regards to the police response to the Uvalde college bloodbath, calling newly leaked video of officers hesitating for greater than an hour “shocking” and never what he had been advised when he initially lauded officers for a swift and courageous confrontation.

“None of the information in that video was shared with me on that day,” Abbott advised reporters in Houston when requested about his response to the video printed this week. “And so it was shocking.”

Multiple inaccurate and conflicting statements given by officers for the reason that May 24 tragedy at Robb Elementary School have compounded the grief and anger over a gunman killing 19 youngsters and two lecturers. Seven weeks later, there stays an incomplete account of why closely armed police officers waited so lengthy to take motion and who was in cost.

A virtually 80-minute college surveillance video printed this week by the Austin American-Statesman put in full view the bewildering inaction by legislation enforcement because the bloodbath unfolded. Abbott mentioned Thursday it was “disgusting to see what happened”.

A day after the assault, Abbott had counseled police, saying on the time that officers “showed amazing courage by running toward gunfire” and that it was “a fact that because of their quick response” lives have been saved. Two days later, Abbott mentioned he had been misled throughout an preliminary briefing and was “livid”.

Abbott has not mentioned who supplied the misinformation. Renae Eze, an Abbott spokeswoman, mentioned in an e-mail Thursday that it got here from a briefing through which “different accounts were spun” by a room of legislation enforcement and public officers. His workplace has not supplied names.

At a Uvalde City Council assembly in June, Mayor Don McLaughlin mentioned the briefing that preceded Abbott’s inaccurate remarks was given by Victor Escalon, a regional commander with the Texas Department of Public Safety. McLaughlin has been more and more essential of state police for the reason that taking pictures, accusing DPS leaders of minimising the involvement of their very own troopers and deflecting blame on native officers.

The division’s officers don’t dispute that Escalon led the briefing however mentioned it was primarily based on data supplied by native legislation enforcement. Agency spokesman Travis Considine mentioned these within the room included McLaughlin, Uvalde School District police Chief Pete Arredondo and officers from Uvalde police, the native sheriff’s division and the Border Patrol. All “were present at the briefing and had the opportunity to clarify anything they deemed inaccurate”, Considine mentioned in an e-mail Thursday.

Considine mentioned it was not till Texas Rangers, a division of the Department of Public Safety, started their investigation that discrepancies emerged.

An investigative committee led by Texas lawmakers is predicted to launch findings Sunday in regards to the gradual legislation enforcement response after interviewing greater than 40 witnesses over the previous a number of weeks. The US Justice Department and Texas Rangers even have launched separate investigations which can be ongoing.

“The families of the victims deserve to know what happened. And they will know what happened,” Abbott mentioned. – AP



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