Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez resigns

UVALDE, Texas — Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez resigned from his position on Tuesday, days after a report cleared city police for their actions on the day of the deadly May 2022 shooting at Robb Elementary School.

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In a letter released by police, Rodriguez said he believes “it is time for me to embrace a new chapter in my career.”

“I have full confidence that the police department will continue to thrive under new leadership, and I wish nothing but the best for the organization and its members in the future,” he added.

Rodriguez will continue to serve as police chief for several weeks, KSAT reported, citing a public information officer for the Uvalde Police Department. The Uvalde Leader-News reported that his resignation, which was submitted during a meeting with department staff, will go into effect on April 6.

It was not immediately clear what prompted his resignation, though Rodriguez told the Leader-News that he “was not forced, asked or pressured by anyone in the city or the community to make the decision that I made.”

“This decision was best for me and my family,” he added, according to the newspaper.

The announcement came days after a report cleared Uvalde police officers of missteps in the response to the Robb Elementary School shooting, the San Antonio Express-News reported.

Nearly 400 law enforcement officers responded to the shooting on May 24, 2022. Surveillance footage showed officers in a school hallway minutes after the gunman arrived, although they did not confront the shooter for more than an hour.

Private investigator and retired Austin police detective Jesse Prado found that Uvalde police officers were outgunned, hampered by poor radio communications and missing equipment such as vests and shields strong enough to stand up against the high-powered rifle used by the shooter, according to the Express-News.

Rodriguez, who became police chief in 2018, was on vacation and out of state on the day of the shooting, the Leader-News reported. Lt. Mariana Pargas, who was acting police chief when gunshots rang out, retired six months after the shooting to avoid being fired, according to KSAT and the Express-News.

The shooting at Robb Elementary left 19 students and two teachers dead, prompted calls for stricter gun control measures and spurred several investigations.

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