Uvalde's senator wants oversight of DPS's internal investigation

AUSTIN — State Sen. Roland Gutierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, called on Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick to investigate state law enforcement officers present at the May 23 massacre after a report indicated they were too slow to act. 

Gutierrez said he is asking the Texas Senate to conduct oversight of DPS’ investigation to ensure accuracy.

“We owe the families of Uvalde nothing short of complete honesty and accountability,” Gutierrez said in a letter. “To date, we have failed these families and my constituents are demanding a full accounting of the horrors of that day.”

The Texas House special committee into the Uvalde shooting issued a preliminary report Sunday highlighting “multiple systemic failures” across several law enforcement agencies. 

Only after the report — and 55 days after the tragedy — has the Texas Department of Public Safety announced it will conduct its own internal investigation, Gutierrez pointed out.

Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo and the Uvalde Police Department have taken much of the blame for the tragedy that unfolded that day. However, 376 officers arrived on scene, including from DPS, U.S. Border Patrol, San Antonio Police SWAT and 20 other agencies.

It took all those officers and 70 minutes before the 18-year-old gunman was killed.

Bodycam footage shows that officers were informed that victims remained alive in the classroom almost 40 minutes into the standoff, yet did not breach the classroom door for another half hour.

“It is our obligation as the Texas Senate to seek accountability from DPS and its public employees and officials,” Gutierrez said. “It is our duty to ensure that the families receive answers and that every Texan never has to worry about this kind of public safety failure ever again.”

Of the 376 responding law enforcement officers, 149 belonged to Border Patrol and 91 to DPS, the report said.

Specifically, Gutierrez requested the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice review DPS’ internal investigation “to ensure that it has thoroughly and aggressively reviewed the actions of its employees.”

“Yesterday, every Texan woke up to the reality that the law enforcement response to the Uvalde school shooting was plagued with systemic failures,” Gutierrez said in a statement. “We owe it to the Uvalde families to give them full answers. And, we owe every Texan a future in which they are safe and secure from this kind of horrific mass gun violence.”

DPS Press Secretary Ericka Miller said the DPS’ investigation includes members from the department’s Training Operations Division, Office of Inspector General, Office of General Counsel, and Special Operations Group.

The actions of every DPS trooper, officer, agent and ranger that responded to Robb Elementary will be reviewed “to determine if any violations of policy, law, or doctrine occurred and where the department can make necessary improvements for future mass casualty responses,” Miller said.

Miller added that the investigation launched by the Texas Rangers in May also has been examining the actions of responding officers.

“The ongoing criminal investigation by the Texas Rangers has included examining the actions of every member of law enforcement agency that day, so we’ve been in the process of doing this from the very beginning,” Miller said. “The criminal investigation always takes precedent but is typically followed by a comprehensive administrative review of this nature.”