Uvalde acting police chief suspended amid state probe findings

The acting police chief of Uvalde, Texas, has been suspended, a report said Sunday — the same day a state House probe issued scathing findings bashing law enforcement who responded to the school massacre there.

Uvalde Mayor Don McLaughlin shared news of the chief’s suspension Sunday with families of victims of the May 24 massacre at Robb Elementary School. The pol spoke during a meeting between the families and the special Texas House committee investigating the blundering police response to the shooting, CNN reported.

Suspended Lt. Mariano Pargas was Uvalde Police Department’s top-ranking official on the day of the massacre.

The special Texas House panel formed to probe the day’s events said the nearly 400 officers who responded to the scene took an “overall lackadaisical approach” to responding to the active shooter.

“At Robb Elementary, law enforcement responders failed to adhere to their active shooter training, and they failed to prioritize saving innocent lives over their own safety,” the committee’s report said.

“In this crisis, no responder seized the initiative to establish an incident command post.

“Despite an obvious atmosphere of chaos, the ranking officers of other responding agencies did not approach the Uvalde [school district] chief of police or anyone else perceived to be in command to point out the lack of and need for a command post, or to offer that specific assistance,” the report said.

“In this sense, the entirety of law enforcement and its training, preparation, and response shares systemic responsibility for many missed opportunities on that tragic day.”