(RepublicanView.org) – The Department of Justice has finally released its report on the May 2022 school shooting in Uvalde, TX, and it highlights a number of failures of local police.
Criticisms of the police response drew immediate scrutiny as parents claimed that officers hesitated to stop the shooter. Instead, witnesses claimed, they began tasing and arresting parents who were trying to save their children amid the officers’ reluctance.
The Department of Justice’s report, over a year and a half later, accuses police of taking too much time and acting with “no urgency” in their response.
The report also accuses police of giving false information to the families of children trapped inside. Parents began taking actions into their own hands when reports they were receiving from police failed to match the claims of panicked children who were calling their parents from inside the school.
The DOJ also cited a number of preexisting failures that contributed to the poor response at Robb Elementary school. Officers were found to be improperly trained for the job. There were also technology failures caused by a lack of maintenance that led to severe communication problems. The police department’s leadership was also blamed for improperly coordinating the response.
Attorney General Merrick Garland echoed the report’s findings on January 18 when he told reporters that more people would’ve survived if the officers just followed “generally accepted practices.”
Salvador Ramos, 18, continued his shooting rampage for over an hour after police arrived. He killed 21 people, including 19 children. Ramos was finally killed by an agent of the Border Patrol’s elite team.
It still took them time to reach Ramos after he barricaded himself behind a steel door. The agents had to get a master key to gain entry.
The victims’ families have renewed calls for charges against police after the report’s release. They have also expressed shock with the lack of accountability following the shooting. According to AP, President Joe Biden said that while he has not yet finished reading the 600 page document, he doesn’t “know if there’s any criminal liability.” Five police officers were fired after the shooting, but no charges have been filed.
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