A QUICK INTRO AND THEN WE’RE GOING TO GET GOING RIGHT OFF THE TOP. THERE.
>> HE IS CURRENTLY IN HIDING.
HE’S RECEIVED DEATH THREATS AND
INTENSE CRITICISM. HE IS THE
POLICE CHIEF OF UVALDE ISD PETE
ARRADONDO AND NOW WE ARE
HEARING HIS ACCOUNT OF WHAT
HAPPENED THAT DAY AT ROBB
ELEMENTARY WHEN A GUNMAN KILLED
19 CHILDREN AND 2 TEACHERS ARE
REDONDO. SPOKE IN AN EXCLUSIVE
INTERVIEW WITH THE TEXAS
TRIBUNE. HE TALKED WITH THE
TRIBUNE BY PHONE ALSO PROVIDED
SOME WRITTEN ANSWERS AND
RESPONSES THROUGH HIS OWN
ATTORNEY. IN TODAY’S KSAT Q
AND A, WE ARE HAPPY TO WELCOME
JAMES. GON ONE OF THE TEXAS
TRIBUNE REPORTERS WHO WORKED
ON THAT VERY PIECE. JAMES,
THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING
WITH US TO REALLY TALK ABOUT
SOME OF THE INCREDIBLY
EYE-OPENING THINGS THAT YOU ALL
UNCOVERED IN THIS INTERVIEW.
2 THINGS THAT I WANT TO ASK
ABOUT RIGHT OFF THE TOP HERE.
ONE OF THEM BEING THAT CHIEF
ARRADONDO SAID HE DID NOT KNOW
HE WAS THE INCIDENT COMMANDER
ON SCENE DURING THAT RESPONSE
AND ALSO DIDN’T HAVE HIS RADIO
IS ON HIM. SO NO WAY TO
COMMUNICATE WITH OTHER LAW
ENFORCEMENT THAT WERE ALSO
THERE RESPONDING. WHAT HIS
EXPLANATION FOR THOSE 2 THINGS.
>> WELL, THANK YOU FOR HAVING
ME. AND YEAH, YOU POINT OUT
2 OF THE BIGGEST CRITICISMS
THAT THERE HAVE BEEN SO FAR
AS INCIDENT COMMANDER BASICALLY
TELLING OTHER LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICERS NOT TO NOT TO GO IN
AND THEN THE LACK OF RADIO,
WHICH COMPLICATES THE
COMMUNICATION NOT ONLY INSIDE
THE HALLWAY WHERE WHERE WHERE
OFFICERS ARE WAITING TO ENGAGE
THE GUNMAN, BUT ALSO WITH THE
REST OF THE LAW ENFORCEMENT
AGENTS AND AGENCIES WHO HAVE
SWARM TO TRY TO HELP OUT IN
THIS IN THIS INCIDENT. BUT WHAT
HE TOLD US IN HIS FIRST PUBLIC
COMMENTS SINCE THE SHOOTING
AND REALLY THE FIRST PUBLIC
COMMENTS FROM ANY LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL OTHER THAN
TEXAS DPS. HE SAID HE NEVER
THOUGHT OF HIMSELF AS THE
INCIDENT COMMANDER AND NOBODY
TOLD ME WAS THE INCIDENT
COMMANDER. HE NEVER CLAIMED TO
BE THE INCIDENT COMMANDER.
AND HE WAS ADAMANT THAT KEY
MEMBER ISSUED AN ORDER TO OTHER
OFFICERS NOT TO BREACH THE
CLASSROOM. WE’LL GET INTO THAT
A LITTLE BIT MORE. BUT THE
OTHER THING IS THAT HE SAID AND
HE WILLINGLY CONCEDES AND
ACKNOWLEDGES THAT HE DID DROP
HIS POLICE RADIO. HE SAID WHEN
HE GOT THERE, HE THOUGHT HE WAS
THE FIRST POLICE OFFICERS
OFFICER ON THE SCENE. HE WANTED
TO BE AS QUICKLY AS QUICK AS
POSSIBLE AND ENGAGING THE
GUNMAN. AND SO HE DROPPED HIS
RADIOS BECAUSE HE WANTED TO
HAVE BOTH OF HIS HANDS ON HIS
GUN SO THAT HE CONFRONTED THE
GUNMAN. HE COULD HAVE A QUICK
AND ACCURATE SHOT SHOULD HE
RUN INTO THE GUNMAN?
>> YOU TALKED TO HIM ON THE
PHONE, JAMES.
AND WHEN WHAT DID YOU GET A
SENSE OF HIS EMOTIONS THAT YOU
CAN JUST SENSE OF HIS FEELINGS
ABOUT THIS WHOLE THING? I MEAN,
LIKE LIKE I SAID, THIS IS A GUY
WHO GAVE THE FIRST 2 BRIEFINGS
THE NIGHT OF THE SHOOTING.
VERY SHORT, NOT A LOT OF
INFORMATION IN THOSE BRIEFINGS,
BUT WE HAVEN’T REALLY SEEN OR
HEARD FROM HIM SINCE THEN.
I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY HE HAS A
SENSE OF JUST WHAT A CENTER
POINT OF THIS CRITICISM HE’S
BECOME.
>> YEAH, AND YOU KNOW THAT THAT
TRACKS THAT THE FIRST LAW
ENFORCEMENT BRIEFINGS FROM HIM
WERE SHORT, DID NOT HAVE A
WHOLE LOT OF INFORMATION.
WELL, HE TOLD US IS BASICALLY
THAT HE HASN’T WON. IT HASN’T
WANTED TO MAKE PUBLIC COMMENTS
BECAUSE HE DOESN’T WANT TO ADD
TO THE CONFUSION, RIGHT?
AND HE DOESN’T WANT TO
INCREASE THE PAIN OR ADD TO THE
GRIEF HAT THE FAMILIES OF
THESE VICTIMS, THE FAMILIES OF
THE SURVIVORS, ALL THE PEOPLE
DOWN THERE IN UVALDE ARE GOING
THROUGH RIGHT NOW. YOU HAVE TO
REMEMBER THAT HE IS A MEMBER OF
THIS COMMUNITY. HE GREW UP
THERE. HE WENT TO ROBB
ELEMENTARY. HE SPENT THE FIRST
16 YEARS OF HIS CAREER AS A
POLICE OFFICER AT THE UVALDE
POLICE DEPARTMENT. SO HE IS
VERY, VERY TO THIS TRAGEDY.
ONE OF ONE OF HIS FAMILY BY
ONE OF THE TEACHERS WHO DIED
WAS MARRIED TO HIS SECOND
COUSIN. AND THEN THE OTHER
TEACHER WHO WAS KILLED BY THE
GUNMAN. I’M EVA MIRELES WAS
MARRIED TO A UVALDE SCHOOL
DISTRICT POLICE OFFICER.
IT’S IT’S VERY CLOSE. AND SO
HE RECOGNIZES THAT HE HAS
BECOME A PART OF THE STORY.
HE RECOGNIZES THAT THERE IS A
LOT OF SCRUTINY AND CRITICISM
OF IT AND HE WANTED TO PUT OUT
THERE HIS VERSION OF EVENTS,
HOW HE REMEMBERS IT SO THAT
PEOPLE CAN GET SOME CONTEXT
FOR WHY HE MADE THE DECISIONS
THAT HE MADE.
>> AND A HUGE PART OF THE STORY
IS THE LENGTH OF TIME, THE
LENGTH OF TIME THAT IT TOOK
OFFICERS TO EVENTUALLY CONFRONT
THE GUNMAN. 77 MINUTES, WE KNOW
THAT A LOCKED DOOR WAS A BIG
PART OF THAT. WHAT’S HIS
EXPLANATION FOR WHAT WAS GOING
ON DURING THAT TIME? AND THE
REASON WHY IT TOOK SO LONG?
>> YOU KNOW, I WANT TO CLARIFY
SOME POINTS TO 77 MINUTES IS
ACTUALLY HOW LONG THE ENTIRE
SHOOTING TOOK. I THINK FROM THE
POINT THAT OFFICERS ARE IN THE
HALLWAY TO WHEN THEY FINALLY
CONFRONTED THE GUNMAN ARE ABLE
TO GET INSIDE THE CLASSROOM AND
SHOOT HIM. I THINK IT IS MORE
THAN AN HOUR, BUT THAT’S NOT
THE FULL 77 MINUTES. BUT I
THINK THAT’S ANOTHER ONE OF THE
NEW DETAILS THAT CAME OUT IN
THIS INTERVIEW. TO OUR DONNA’S
PERSPECTIVE, HE SAID THAT HE
HAD TRIED TO UNLOCK THE DOOR TO
ONE OF THE CLASSROOMS WHERE
THE GUNMAN WAS TRYING TO OPEN
IT. BUT HE WENT DRY TO DO THAT.
HE FOUND THAT IT WAS LOCKED
AND THAT COMPLICATED THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE. USUALLY
SCHOOLS HAVE THESE DOORS THAT
ARE DESIGNED. SO THAT IS
DIFFICULT FOR SOMEONE FROM THE
OUTSIDE TO GET INSIDE. AND
THAT’S PRECISELY BECAUSE OF
THESE LIKE ACTIVE SHOOTER
INCIDENTS. YOU DON’T WANT THE
SHOOTER TO BE ABLE TO GET IN
FROM THE OUTSIDE. AND SO PEOPLE
ON THE INSIDE ARE VERY SECURE.
HOWEVER, WHEN THE GUNMAN ENDED
UP INSIDE, THAT MADE THE LAW
ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE SO MUCH
MORE COMPLICATED BECAUSE NOW
IT’S THE POLICE THAT CANNOT
GET INSIDE AND THEY DID NOT
KNOW IF THEY HAD MORE VICTIMS
INSIDE OR POTENTIAL OF VICTIMS.
IF THERE WAS ANYBODY THAT WAS
STILL ALIVE INSIDE THE ROOM
BECAUSE THE LIGHTS WERE OFF
ANOTHER PRACTICE FROM THE
LOCKDOWN DRILLS. AND THAT IS
SORT OF WHAT CAUSE THE
HESITATION TO GO INTO THE ROOM.
THEY COULDN’T GET IN. THERE ARE
AND SAYS HE CALLED FOR
EXTRACTION TOOLS OR KEYS AND
THOSE TOOK A LONG TIME GETTING
THERE. BUT WHEN THEY FINALLY
GOT THE KEYS, HE SAID THEY WERE
ABLE TO GO IN. HE ALSO SAYS
THAT, YOU KNOW, WHILE THEY WERE
WAITING FOR THE KEYS, IT’S NOT
LIKE THEY WERE STANDING AROUND
DOING NOTHING. THEY MADE A CALL
TO EVACUATE THE STUDENTS IN THE
CLASSROOMS. NEXT TO WHERE THE
GUNMAN WAS TO TRY TO PREVENT
ANY MORE LIVES FROM BEING
DANGER. IT JAMES OUT, I WANT
TO POINT OUT BECAUSE ARE A LOT
OF PEOPLE WHO ARE GOING TO BE
UPSET BY THIS WHOLE THING AND
THINK THE YOU KNOW THAT NO
MATTER WHAT YOU SAY.
>> THIS GUY’S NOT GOING TO BE
ABLE TO SAY ANYTHING RIGHT IN
THIS SITUATION. AND I WANT TO
POINT OUT IN YOUR ARTICLE, YOU
TALK TO OTHER MEMBERS OF LAW
ENFORCEMENT, SOME WHO ARE VERY
CRITICAL OF THE CHIEF’S
ACTIONS, CORRECT?
>> RIGHT. AND EVERYBODY HAS TO
REMEMBER THAT THIS IS HIS
ACCOUNT. SO I THINK IT’S FAIR
FOR PEOPLE TO VIEW OR IS THAT
OUR READERS TO TAKE IT WITH A
GRAIN OF SALT. THIS IS HOW HE
REMEMBERS IT. AND HE OBVIOUSLY
KNOWS THAT HE’S BECOME A CENTER
OF ATTENTION HERE. BUT THERE
WERE FROM THE REPORTING THAT
RING TRUE. THAT SORT TRACKED
WITH THE TIMELINE THAT HAS BEEN
PUT OUT THERE. BUT OF COURSE,
THERE’S CRITICISM FROM LAW
ENFORCEMENT EXPERTS IN RUSHING
IN THERE WITHOUT A RADIO IS ONE
OF THE MAIN CRITICISMS OF FOLKS
THAT THAT THAT SHOULD NEVER
HAVE HAPPENED. HIM NOT TAKING
COMMAND OF THE INCIDENT.
THEY SAID THAT THAT CAUSED AN
ADDED TO THE CHAOTIC RESPONSE.
AND SO HE WILL STILL HAVE TO
ANSWER MORE QUESTIONS. THERE’S
NO DOUBT ABOUT THAT. BUT I
THINK FROM HIS PERSPECTIVE,
HE’S TRYING TO SHOW PEOPLE WHAT
HIS WHY HE DID THE THINGS HE
DID. AND HE’S VERY PROUD OF
THE LAW ENFORCEMENT RESPONSE
AND THEY DID THE BEST THAT THEY
COULD UNDER THE SITUATION.
JAMES, WE’VE WE RUN OUT OF TIME
HERE. BUT BEFORE WE LET YOU
GO, I’M JUST CURIOUS ABOUT A
COUPLE OF WORDS YOU COULD
DESCRIBE HIS DEMEANOR, HIS
TONE. HOW WOULD YOU
CHARACTERIZE THIS INTERVIEW?
>> WITH THE RESPONSE THAT I’M
HIS LAWYER TOLD US WHEN WE
ASKED ABOUT THAT IS THAT HE
WAS DEVASTATED. AND THAT’S THE
ONE WE’RE RESPONSE. HE WAS
DEVASTATED.
>> JAMES OF ARGON WITH THE
TEXAS TRIBUNE. THANK YOU SO
MUCH. AND OBVIOUSLY YOU CAN
READ THIS FULL ARTICLE ON THE