Posted on 10/07/2022 7:35:33 PM PDT by Steely Tom
Uvalde school officials on Friday suspended all of the district police department’s activities following the firing of a recently hired district officer who was revealed to have been among the first state troopers to respond to the deadly school shooting in May.
Lt. Miguel Hernandez and Ken Mueller were placed on leave, and other officers employed with the department will fill other roles in the district, according to a Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District press release issued Friday. Mueller decided to retire, the release said. The release did not specify why Hernandez and Mueller were placed on leave. A district spokesperson did not immediately return phone and email messages.
Hours after the announcement, Uvalde school district Superintendent Hal Harrell told staff in a memo that he planned to retire. In his three decades at the district, which he also graduated from, Harrell was a teacher, principal, assistant superintendent and deputy superintendent before he was hired for his current position in November 2018. The school district trustees will consider Harrell’s retirement options and a transition plan during a 6 p.m. meeting on Monday, according to the school board's agenda.
“This will be our first discussion and there are no defined timelines set at this point,” Harrell’s memo says. “UCISD has the most resilient and dedicated staff and I know you will continue to support and love our kids until and after my retirement date.”
The district’s decision to suspend its police department arrived 10 days after protesters set up at the Uvalde CISD administrative building to demand the removal of officers from campus grounds until investigations into the police department’s response to the shooting are complete.
The district said decisions regarding the future of the department had been pending the results of two investigations, but it suspended the department’s activities Friday, citing “recent developments that have uncovered additional concerns with department operations.”
School officials fired Crimson Elizondo after CNN reported she was among at least five current and former Department of Public Safety officers the agency is investigating for their response to the shooting.
Elizondo was hired by the school district’s police department after leaving her DPS job. Gov. Greg Abbott told reporters during a campaign stop in New Braunfels on Thursday that the school district had asked DPS about Elizondo.
A July 28 memo to Hernandez from DPS flagged that an allegation of “actions inconsistent with training and Department requirements” regarding Elizondo remained under investigation.
ABC News reported Thursday that Hernandez confirmed receipt, writing, “Got it, thank you so much, MRH,” according to the news report. “MRH” are Hernandez’s initials. Earlier this week, the school district fired a recently hired district police officer after it became public that she was one of the first state troopers to arrive at Robb Elementary on May 24, when a gunman killed 19 students and two teachers in the deadliest school shooting in Texas history. The delayed police response has drawn wide scrutiny and remains under investigation.
That was a big slice of forever before doing the right thing.
Should have been done months ago.
I am still waiting for the investigation showing the connections between the police force and the drug cartels.
I am still waiting for the investigation showing the connections between the police force and the drug cartels.
Thank God for BORTAC and for men who don't wait for orders before going into harms way.
There were ordinary citizens who would have put themselves in harm’s way but for the 375 cowards and thugs on the scene who cuffed and tasered them.
finally, something right for the town, and the poor parents and traumatized kids.
It’s hard to prove that those involved didn’t want the children dead.
This whole Bad Day at Uvalde episode was a result of affirmative action and diversity gone to crap.
A bunch of she's were mentioned
Check back later.
Were you there on scene.
SUSPENDS??? They need to be at the least, FIRED, NO PENSION!!
They should all be herded into a maximum security prison, everyone inside, including inmates, are given weapons with live ammunition, and any of them who survive earn the privilege of getting fired with 1/3 pension; a modest proposal.
Still think the feds warned them not to intervene until they got there do the same
Is that a statement or a question? Were you on the scene? Since you asked the 'statement' I think it would be good to know if you were there. Maybe you can provide some insight.
The officers are, to a man, cowards everyone of them. Fire them and charge them with dereliction of duty or STFU about all the dead kids.
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