Daniel Rodriguez, the embattled chief of police in Uvalde, Texas, has announced that he will resign from his post, with it taking effect on April 6.
In a statement that he released on Tuesday, Rodriguez said:
“I believe it is time for me to embrace a new chapter in my career. I want to express my deepest appreciation to all of my colleagues and team members for their unwavering support, professionalism and dedication to our shared mission of serving and protecting the community. It has been a privilege to work alongside such talented and committed individuals, and I will genuinely miss our collaborations and camaraderie.
“I have full confidence that the police department will continue to thrive under new leadership.”
Just last week, the City Council in Uvalde release the findings that came from an independent report it commissioned that sought to investigate the actions that police officers in Uvalde took — or failed to take — when they responded to the mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary School in May of 2022.
According to the investigation, none of the five police officers who initially responded to the shooting committed any serious acts of misconduct or violated any policy. That information outraged and devastated the families of the victims who attended that hearing, ABC News reported.
One of those people is Veronica Mata, whose daughter Tess — who was 10 years old — was killed during the shooting. She commented this week after Rodriguez announced his resignation:
“He would rather resign than fire his friends. It was an easy way out. We are still looking for accountability.”
In the shooting, two teachers and 19 students were killed. Responders at the scene waited approximately 77 minutes before they breached one of the classrooms and ended up killing the gunmen.
Rodriguez wasn’t in town when the shooting happened, but the officers in his department were among the first who responded to the scene, the independent report found.
Following Rodriguez’s resignation, Homer Delgado — the assistant chief of police — will step into the role of interim police chief. This will happen while the city manager and mayor “search for a full-time replacement in consultation with the City Council, according to a statement issued by Mayor Cody Smith.
As Smith continued:
“The City of Uvalde is grateful to Chief Rodriguez for his 26 years of service to our community and we wish him the best as he pursues new career opportunities. Nothing is more important than the safety of our community, and we look forward to working together to identify the best candidate to serve the people of Uvalde.”
Only a few hours after the resignation announcement, the City Council held a meeting but said they wouldn’t be taking any action on the report. Smith told families who showed up for the meeting that more time was needed to review it before they could take action.
Families in attendance said they were hoping that the city would have settled on disciplinary measures by now.
