EVERY TURN OF THE STORY GETS
WORSE AND WORSE.
WILL: YEAH.
LET’S BRING IN TEXAS THE
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAN PATRICK
WHO JOINS US NOW ON THE PROGRAM.
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, THANK YOU
FOR BEING WITH US THIS MORNING.
>> GOOD MORNING.
WILL: WE’LL PICK UP RIGHT THERE.
YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN ABLE TO
HEAR FROM YOU OVER THE LAST
COUPLE OF DAYS, JUST WANT TO GET
YOUR REACTION TO THOSE LATEST
DETAILS.
>> SO THIS HAS BEEN A LONG ROAD.
WE’VE HAD, SINCE I BECAME
LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR AND GOVERNOR
ABBOTT WAS ELECTED BACK IN 20
THE 14, WE’VE HAD FIVE SHOOTINGS
NOW, WALMART, SUMMERLAND
SPRINGS, ODESSA, SANTA FAY AND
THIS SHOOTING -- SANTA FE.
PLUS, WE’VE LOST OVER 50
OFFICERS IN THE LINE OF DUTY
KILLED BY VIOLENT CRIMINALS, SO
THIS TAKES A TOLL ON US.
AND WHEN WE SIT DOWN WITH LAW
ENFORCEMENT, WE EXPECT TO BE THE
TOLD THE TRUTH IN OUR BRIEFING.
I WAS IN THE BRIEFING WITH THE
GOVERNOR AND SENATOR CORNYN AND
SENATOR CRUZ AND ABOUT 20 OTHER
PEOPLE ON WEDNESDAY BEFORE WE
HELD OUR PRESS CONFERENCE, AND
WE WERE TOLD A DIFFERENT SET OF
FACTS THAN WE NOW KNOW.
AND WHETHER THAT WAS PURPOSEFUL
OR WHETHER THAT WAS BECAUSE
PEOPLE -- AND THAT WAS ABOUT 24
HOURS AFTER AFTER THE SHOOTING
BECAUSE THEY WERE STILL IN A
STATE OF CHAOS AND MAYBE HAD NOT
HAD ANY SLEEP AND WERE IN SHOCK
AND MISREMEMBER ARED THINGS, THE
BOTTOM LINE IS WE HAVE TO HAVE
THE FACTS AND THE TRUTH BECAUSE
IT ONLY MAKES THE SITUATION
WORSE FOR THE FAMILIES WHEN THEY
HEAR CHANGING STORIES.
AND PARTICULAR PARTICULARLY WHEN
THEY HEARD ABOUT THIS 45-MINUTE
DELAY OR A SECURITY OFFICER WHO
WASN’T THERE EVEN THOUGH WE WERE
TOLD HE WAS THERE.
AND THE GOVERNOR, AS HE
MENTIONED YESTERDAY, TOOK
COPIOUS NOTES, I WAS SITTING
NEXT TO HIM, HE TOOK COPIOUS
NOTES.
WE ALL ASKED QUESTIONS, AND WE
WERE TOLD A DIFFERENT STORY THAN
WE NOW KNOW.
SO THE FAMILIES HAVE A RIGHT TO
BE ANGRY.
WILL: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR, TO
CLARIFY, WHETHER OR NOT YOU WERE
MISLED, WHETHER OR NOT IT WAS A
LIE OR A MISTAKE, YOU WERE TOLD
A DIFFERENT STORY.
>> YES.
WILL: WHAT STORY WAS IT THAT YOU
WERE TOLD?
>> WELL, WE WERE TOLD THAT THERE
WAS A SECURITY OFFICER, AND THEY
WERE A LITTLE HAZY ON HOW THE
ENGAGEMENT WENT, BUT THAT A A
SECURITY OFFICER WAS THERE.
TURNED OUT HE WAS NOTTEN ON
CAMPUS.
HE DROVE ONTO THE CAMPUS, BUT HE
WAS NOT ON CAMPUS AS WE WERE
TOLD AND LED TO BELIEVE.
NO ONE MENTIONED THE FACT THAT
THERE WAS THIS 45-MINUTE TO AN
HOUR HOLD BY THE CHIEF OF THE
POLICE OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT
WHILE THERE WERE STILL SHOTS
BEING FIRED.
NOW, WE BELIEVE THAT MOST OF
THOSE SHOTS WERE BEING FIRED
INTO THE DOOR, THE WALL, AT LAW
ENFORCEMENT, BUT WE DON’T KNOW.
SO IMAGINE THE PARENT WHO HAS TO
GO THROUGH THIS FOR THE REST OF
THEIR LIFE, AND THEY WILL BE
THINKING WAS MY CHILD STILL
ALIVE AND COULD HAVE BEEN SAVED.
SO THAT WAS ANOTHER FACT THAT WE
WEREN’T TOLD, AND SO THIS IS
HEARTBREAKING.
THIS IS HORRENDOUS.
AND I’VE BEEN, AS I SAID, WITH
THESE SHOOTINGS ONE OF PARTS OF
THIS JOB THAT YOU DON’T EVER
WANT IS TO HAVE TO GO TO A
FUNERAL OF PARTICULARLY A CHILD,
BUT ANYONE KILLED IN A SHOOTING
OR ONE OF OUR POLICE OFFICERS
KILL IN THE LINE OF DUTY.
AND, YOU KNOW, WE’VE HAD A LOT
OF FUNERALS, A LOT OF MEMORIAL
SERVICES, A LOT OF HOSPITAL
VISITS, SO I TAKE THIS
PERSONALLY.
AND I KNOW THE GOVERNOR TAKES IT
PERSONALLY.
AND FOR ME, IT’S 140 OR 150
PEOPLE KILLED IN TEXAS IN THE
LAST 6 OR 7 YEARS OF COLLECTIVE
ANGER WHEN WE’RE NOT TOLD THE
TRUTH.
PETE: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR,
ULTIMATELY, NOW THAT WE DO KNOW
THE INFORMATION AND WE THINK WE
KNOW BETTER WHAT TRANSPIRED --
>> YES.
PETE: -- DID THE POLICE ACT THE
RIGHT WAY BASED ON WHAT THEY
KNEW?
I MEAN, WITH A FULL APPRECIATION
OF WHAT LAW ENFORCEMENT DOES, WE
KNOW THAT, BASED ON WHAT YOU
KNOW, DID THEY FOLLOW THE RIGHT
PROTOCOLS TO TRY TO GET THOSE
KIDS?
>> NO.
THE HEAD OF OUR STATE TROOPERS
WHO TOOK OVER THE INVESTIGATION
AFTER THE FACT WHEN THE TEXAS
THE RANGERS WERE ASKED TO COME
IN AND INVESTIGATE THIS, HE WAS
RIGHT, THEY DID NOT FOLLOW
PROTOCOL.
BUT LET ME BE VERY CLEAR ABOUT
SOMETHING BECAUSE THERE’S BEEN
SOME MISUNDERSTANDING OR
MISREPORTING, AND THAT IS THE
PEOPLE FEEL LIKE THE CASE IN
PARKLAND WHERE NO ONE WENT IN.
THESE POLICE WENT IN WITHIN 4
MINUTES OR SO AFTER THE SHOOTER
WENT IN THROUGH THAT UNLOCKED
DOOR WHICH SHOULD HAVE NEVER
HAPPENED, THAT OPEN DOOR.
BUT THEY WERE THERE 3 OR 4
MINUTES, AND THEY BRAVELY
ENCOUNTERED HERE, AND THEY WERE
SHOT, SOME OF THEM WERE WOUNDED.
NO ONE LEFT THE SCHOOL.
THEY HUNKERED DOWN IN THE
HALLWAY, ABOUT 19 OF THEM DURING
THIS TIME, SO THAT HE DID NOT
ESCAPE ANYWHERE IF ELSE IN THE
SCHOOL.
SO THESE POLICEMEN DID THE RIGHT
THING AT THE BEGINNING.
AND MANY WANTED TO GO IN.
AND THE POLICE CHIEF -- LOOK,
THIS IS A, THIS IS A 6-MAN OR
7-MAN POLICE DEPARTMENT.
THE POLICE CHIEF -- AND YOU KNOW
HE’LLLY WITH THIS -- LIVE WITH
IN THE REST OF HIS LIFE D -- BUT
HE WAS IN CHARGE.
HE MADE THAT DECISION TO HOLD.
AND AGAIN, HE’LL HAVE TO LIVE
WITH THAT THE REST OF HIS LIFE.
NO POLICEMAN RAN OUT, THEY
STAYED.
AND THEN IN THE END WITH A
COMBINATION OF PEOPLE LED BY THE
BORDER PATROL WENT IN AGAINST
THIS ASSAULT WEAPON.
AND YOU KNOW, PETE, YOU KNOW
WHEN YOU GO IN THERE ONE, TWO,
THREE OR MORE OF THEM COULD BE
KILLED.
SO THE POLICE INDIVIDUALS DID
THE RIGHT THING AND WERE BRAVE,
AND I KNOW THE PEOPLE OUTSIDE,
THE PARENTS WERE HEARING THESE
SHOTS AND SOME THOUGHT MAYBE THE
POLICE WERE NOT DOING ANYTHING,
BUT IT WAS THE DECISION, THE
HOLD THAT WAS THE MISTAKE THAT
DID NOT FOLLOW PROTOCOL.
IT WAS THE SECURITY OFFICER NOT
ON THE CAMPUS THAT WAS THE
MISTAKE.
IT WAS AN OPEN DOOR HELD BY A
ROCK THAT ALLOWED THAT PERSON TO
GET N. AND DON’T -- AND, LOOK,
THAT TEACHER WILL LIVE WITH THAT
DECISION ALSO.
BUT MY FOCUS THROUGH THIS AND
WHEN WE HAD THE PRESS CONFERENCE
ON WEDNESDAY, THE MIC WAS BEING
HANDLED FROM THE GOVERNOR
INTRODUCED ME TO SPEAK, AND
THAT’S WHEN BETO O’ROURKE MADE A
TOTAL ASS OF HIMSELF.
WHAT OFFENDED ME WAS THAT THAT
HE PUT HIMSELF ABOVE THESE
FAMILIES.
AND AND SO THAT’S MY ONLY FOCUS.
AND I SAID AT THE TIME WHEN THEY
USHERED HIM OUT, CAN’T WE SPEND
JUST A DAY OR A WEEK FOCUSED ON
THESE FAMILIES AND THE PAIN?
THE PAIN IS UNIMAGINABLE.
WILL: RIGHT.
>> I’VE BEEN THERE BEFORE WITH
THESE FAMILIES.
IT’S UNIMAGINABLE.
AS MY PASTOR ONCE SAID, WHEN YOU
GO TO THESE EVENTS, THERE’S
NOTHING YOU CAN SAY.
THERE’S NOTHING I CAN SAY AS I
LIEUTENANT ABOVE TO HEAL THAT
PAIN.
YOU JUST ARE THERE OUT OF
RESPECT, AND THAT WAS
DISRESPECTFUL, WHAT HE DID.
I CANCELED ALL MY EVENTS, I’M
NOT GOING ANYWHERE FOR A COUPLE
OF WEEKS.
WE PUT THIS ASIDEMENT OUR ONLY
FOCUS SHOULD BE ON THE FAMILIES,
AND WHAT HAS MADE THIS WORSE FOR
THESE FAMILIES IS THE CHANGING
OF FACTS ALMOST ON A A DAILY
BASIS.
RACHEL: YEAH.
>> AND THERE HAS TO BE
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR IT.
RACHEL: WELL, THERE HAS TO BE
THE ACCOUNTABILITY, NO QUESTION
ABOUT IT.
EVERY WE HAVE TO LEARN THE
LESSONS.
SOME OF THE LESSONS WE’VE
LEARNED FROM PAST SHOOTINGS,
DIDN’T SEEM LIKE WE LEARNED
THEM.
MAYBE WE FINALLY, WE FINALLY
WILL.
IS THERE GOING TO BE THE
ACCOUNTABILITY FOR THOSE
OFFICERS WHO THE GOVERNOR SAYS
MISLED HIM?
>> THAT WILL HAVE TO BE ALL
SORTED OUT, AND THAT WILL BE --
THOSE WERE, THOSE ARE GOING TO
BE LOCAL DECISIONS MADE BY THE
SCHOOL DISTRICT OR -- THAT WILL
BE HANDLED THERE.
AND, AGAIN, I WANT TO SEPARATE
THIS OUT.
THE POLICE THAT WENT IN WERE
BRAVE.
THE POLICE THAT WERE ON HOLD
WERE POLLING THEIR ORDERS.
EVENTUALLY SOME WENT IN AND SAID
IT’S TIME TO GO -- FOLLOWING
THEIR ORDERS.
BUT IT WAS A BAD DECISION.
AND THAT DECISION --
RACHEL: CAN I JUST SAY --
>> YEAH.
WILL: LIEUTENANT TO THE
GOVERNOR, CAN I ASK YOU REALLY
QUICKLY, I FIND IN THE
INFORMATION, OF YOU HAVE DIRECT
ACCESS TO INFORMATION WE DO NOT
HAVE, BUT I HEAR YOU SAYING THIS
FOG OF WAR WITH, THERE’S A LOT
OF BRAVE OFFICERS READY TO GO
IN, THE POLICE CHIEF IN UVALDE
MADE THE CALL TO HOLD BACK.
THERE ARE THE REPORTS HE DIDN’T
KNOW IF THERE WERE CHILDREN
ALIVE STILL IN THE ROOM, HE
DIDN’T KNOW IF IT WAS A HOSTAGE
SITUATION.
BUT WE’VE HEARD REPORTS OF 91 IS
CALLS COMING FROM -- 911 CALLS
FROM INSIDE THE CLASSROOM.
YOU HAVE INFORMATION WE DON’T
HAVE.
WERE THEY NOT BEING RELAYED TO
OFFICERS ON THE SCENE?
DID THAT POLICE CHIEF NOT HAVE
ACCESS TO INFORMATION THERE WERE
CHILDREN ALIVE IN THE ROOM?
>> WELL, WE STILL DON’T KNOW
THAT, AND THE INTERVIEWS ARE
STILL GOING ON.
ONE OF THE PROBLEMS WE HAVE
ACROSS AMERICA IS DIFFERENT
POLICE ARE ON DIFFERENT
BANDS,AND WHETHER THEY GOT THAT
INFORMATION DIRECTLY OR NOT, THE
TRUTH IS IT DOESN’T MATTER.
THEY SHOULD HAVE GONE IN.
THEY SHOULD HAVE ALREADY BEEN IN
AT THAT POINT P. THAT’S THE
POINT THAT WE’RE MAKING HERE.
HE VIEWED IT -- AND LET’S, AND
THIS WAS NOT THE UVALDE POLICE
CHIEF, THIS WAS THE POLICE CHIEF
OF THE SCHOOL DISTRICT, A 6-7
MAN DEPARTMENT.
DID HE HAVE THE EXPERIENCE TO
MAKE THAT DECISION THEN?
HE WAS THE INCIDENT COMMANDER,
IT WAS ON HIS CAMPUS.
AND THAT WAS, THAT WAS THE KEY.
AND, LOOK, WE -- AFTER THE SANTA
FE SHOOTING, WE PUT IN OVER $100
MILLION INTO HARDENING OUR
SCHOOLS, INTO METAL DETECTORS,
INTO THE DOORS -- THAT DOOR,
WHEN IT WAS FINALLY SHUT, IT DID
NOT AUTOMATICALLY LOCK, AND WE
PUT IN THE FUNDING FOR SCHOOLS
TO DO THAT.
THIS WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF
LOCK THAT HAD TO BE ACTIVATED,
APPARENTLY.
AND WE HAVE -- WE TRAIN OUR
TEACHERS TO CARRY IF THEY WISH.
LOOK, WE’VE GOT ABOUT 9,000
CAMPUSES IN TEXAS, 1200 SCHOOL
DISTRICTS, 5.5 MILLION KIDS IN
PUBLIC SCHOOLS.
WE LEFT THESE DECISIONS TO BE
THE OPTIONAL BY THE SCHOOL
DISTRICTS.
BUT THE POINT IS HERE IS THAT NO
MATTER WHAT WE DO -- AND WE
SHOULD HAVE ONE ENTRANCE IN AND
ONE ENTRANCE OUT OF EVERY
SCHOOL, IT SHOULD BE BULLETPROOF
GLASS ON THE FRONT, AND THAT’S
WHAT SHOULD HAPPEN.
AND SO WHEN THE DOORS ARE OPEN
AND POLICE DON’T FOLLOW
PROTOCOL, THESE THINGS HAPPEN.
BUT I JOIN THE GOVERNOR, I’M
ANGRY.
IT SHOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED, AND
FAMILIES, AND THAT’S WHAT WE
HAVE TO FOCUS ON --
PETE: AS IT SHOULD BE.
>> -- HEALING THEM AND POLITICS
ASIDE.
PETE: LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR DAN
PATRICK, ULTIMATELY, YOU WANT