40 YEAR SENTENCE PLEA DEAL. HE REJECTED IT NOW WITH THE GUILTY VERDICT, HE FACES UP
TO LIFE IN PRISON.
>> IN A NOT SO SURPRISING MOVE,
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY FILING AN APPEAL TODAY
BLOCKING THE MEDIA FROM SEEING
ITS INFORMATION STEMMING FROM
THE ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
SHOOTING LAST WEEK. A TRAVIS
COUNTY JUDGE SIGNED OFF ON WHAT
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY HAD
TO PROVIDE TO MORE THAN A DOZEN
MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS.
>> INCLUDING KSAT, 12 AFTER A
LEGAL BATTLE THAT IT ALREADY
LASTED MORE THAN A YEAR.
KSAT INVESTIGATES LEIGH WALDMAN
WITH WHY.
>> THE LAWYER WHO FILED THAT
LAWSUIT SAYS THIS MOVE BY THE
DPS REAFFIRMS THIS IS A COVER
UP FOR A BLUNDERED RESPONSE.
>> I DON’T KNOW OF ANY
SITUATION THAT HAS BEEN AS BIG
A COVER UP AS THIS ONE IN TEXAS
HISTORY ATTORNEY LAURA PRETTY
THURS HOLDING NO PUNCHES,
CALLING THE FIGHT BETWEEN THE
TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY AND MEDIA ORGANIZATIONS
AND UNPRECEDENTED COVER UP.
WHAT WE’RE FIGHTING FOR IS THE
INFORMATION ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED
THAT DAY, WHICH WE HAVE BEEN
TOLD.
>> BY DPS IS 2.8 TERABYTES OF
DATA. PRAY THROUGH THE CHAIR OF
THE MEDIA PRACTICE GROUP AT
HAYNES. BOONE SAYS THAT IS THE
EQUIVALENT OF 700 TO OUR
MOVIES. ALMOST A MILLION
PHOTOS. ALL OF THAT INFORMATION
HAS BEEN KEPT FROM YOU FROM ME,
FROM THE FAMILIES IN UVALDE FOR
MORE THAN A YEAR AND A HALF.
IT NEEDS TO BECOME PUBLIC.
LET’S TAKE YOU THROUGH A
TIMELINE AFTER INITIALLY
PRAISING THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESPONSE, THE SHOOTING AT ROBB
ELEMENTARY GOVERNOR GREG ABBOTT
THEN CHANGED HIS NARRATIVE 2
DAYS LATER SAYING HE WAS MISLED
THAT SAME DAY. THE DEPARTMENT
OF PUBLIC SAFETY DIRECTOR
COLONEL STEVE MCCRAW SAYS THE
DECISIONS MADE IN THE FIRST
MOMENTS OF THAT SHOOTING.
WE’RE WRONG. MONTHS LATER IN
SEPTEMBER, MCCRAW WAS
CONFRONTED BY CNN CROSSED THAT
TIME SAYS IF THERE WAS ANY
WRONGDOING BY MEMBERS OF DPS,
HE WOULD STEP DOWN AS OF
FEBRUARY OF THIS YEAR. 2 DPS
OFFICERS HAVE BEEN LET GO FOR
THEIR ROLES IN THE RESPONSE.
MCCRAW HASN’T STEPPED DOWN THAT
SAME MONTH. MCCRAW TESTIFIED IN
FRONT OF A SENATE COMMITTEE
SAYING THE INVESTIGATION WAS
DONE BACK IN DECEMBER OF 2022.
AND IT HAD BEEN TURNED OVER TO
THE UVALDE COUNTY DISTRICT
ATTORNEY. HE ALSO SAID THAT
INVESTIGATIVE MATERIAL WOULD
BE RELEASED PUBLICLY WHEN IT
WAS COMPLETED. THAT HAS YET TO
HAPPEN A YEAR LATER WITH THE
APPEAL. DPS HAS NOW FILED
BLOCKING THE COURT ORDERED
RELEASE OF INFORMATION WE COULD
BE WAITING FOR ANSWERS MUCH
LONGER. THAT APPEAL PROCESS
COULD TAKE YEARS.
AND THOSE FAMILIES WOULD BE
WITHOUT.
ANY CLOSURE.
>> AND WITHOUT ANY RETRIBUTION
FOR WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY.
>> AT THE END THERE, YOU HEARD
PRATER MENTION RETRIBUTION FOR
WHAT HAPPENED THAT DAY. COMING
UP AT 6, WE’RE DIVING INTO WHAT
THIS APPEAL COULD MEAN FOR
LAWSUITS FILED BY FAMILIES OF
DAMAGED. THAT WOMAN WAS TREATED THERE AT THE SCENE FOR SMOKE INHALATION AND THE CAUSE OF
THAT FIRE REMAINS UNKNOWN.
TONIGHT, A BLOW IN THE FIGHT
FOR INFORMATION OVER A YEAR AND
A HALF AFTER THE ROBB
ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING,
THE TEXAS DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC
SAFETY FILED AN APPEAL TO BLOCK
THE RELEASE OF COURT-ORDERED
INFORMATION, KSAT AND MORE THAN
A DOZEN OTHER MEDIA
ORGANIZATIONS FIGHTING FOR
ACCESS TO VIDEO FOOTAGE CALL
LOGS, FORENSIC AND BALLISTIC
RECORDS.
>> AND OTHER ITEMS. SO WE HAVE
A COMPLETE PICTURE OF EXACTLY
WHAT HAPPENED IN UVALDE ON MAY
24TH 2022. AT 5 O’CLOCK.
THE ATTORNEY WHO FILED THE SUIT
CALLED DPS IS ACTIONS A COVER
UP. NOW SHE’S TELLING KSAT
INVESTIGATES LEIGH WALDMAN.
THIS LAWSUIT COULD PREVENT THE
FAMILIES OF VICTIMS AND
SURVIVORS.
>> FOR PURSUING JUSTICE FOR
THEIR LOVED ONES.
>> WHAT PEOPLE NEED TO
UNDERSTAND IS NOT ONLY DO
THE FAMILIES NOT GET CLOSURE
WITHOUT KNOWING WHAT HAPPENED
THAT DAY. BUT THEY ALSO HAVE
CLAIMS.
THAT ARE AT STAKE HERE. THERE’S
MORE RISK THAN JUST
TRANSPARENCY AND CLARITY WHEN
IT COMES TO THE DEPARTMENT OF
PUBLIC SAFETY’S APPEAL FILED A
LAWSUIT SEEKING MATERIALS
RELATED TO ITS RESPONSE IN THE
ROBB ELEMENTARY SCHOOL SHOOTING
FAMILIES OF THE VICTIMS AND
SOME OF THE SURVIVORS HAVE
FILED WHAT’S CALLED A 1983
CLAIM. THAT’S A CLAIM THAT IS
BROUGHT AGAINST.
>> THE GOVERNMENTAL BODY
EMPLOYEES AGENCIES WHO DIDN’T
ACT IN THE MANNER IN WHICH THEY
WERE SUPPOSED TO AT THOSE
CLAIMS HAVE A STATUTE OF
LIMITATIONS OF 2 YEARS.
>> THAT’S 5 MONTHS FROM NOW OR
PRAY FOR A LAWYER WITH HAYNES
BOONE, WHO IS REPRESENTING
VARIOUS MEDIA COMPANIES WHO
FILED THE MEDIA LAWSUIT LAST
AUGUST SAYS WITHOUT THE
MATERIALS THEY’RE SEEKING,
THOSE CLAIMS DON’T STAND A
CHANCE WITH ALL OF THE EVIDENCE
THAT SUPPORTS THEIR CLAIMS IS
KEPT UNDER WRAPS. THOSE
FAMILIES WILL NOT HAVE THE
EVIDENCE THEY NEED TO DO TO
DPS TO SING TO YOU SINCE THE
SHOOTING MATERIAL RELATED TO
THE FAILED LAW ENFORCEMENT
RESPONSE HAS BEEN LEAKED TO THE
MEDIA. PRATER SAYS THAT MAY NOT
MEET THE BURDEN OF PROOF THE
FAMILY’S NEED FOR THEIR CLAIMS.
THE EVIDENCE IS NOT
AUTHENTICATED EVIDENCE. THE
APPEAL FILED BY DPS TODAY WOULD
KEEP THE OFFICIAL RELEASE OF
INFORMATION WRAPPED UP IN COURT
PROCEEDINGS FOR MONTHS OR EVEN
YEARS. WHAT IS BEHIND THE
INVESTIGATION THAT YOU ARE SO
CONCERNED ABOUT KEEPING PRIVATE
DOESN’T LAW ENFORCEMENT WANT
US TO TRUST THEM?
>> AND IN ORDER FOR US TO TRUST