The Texas Department of Public Safety has fired an officer who was at the scene of the Uvalde school massacre in May
AUSTIN, Texas — — The Texas Department of Public Safety has fired an officer who was at the sceneand becomes the first member of the state police force to lose their job in the fallout over the hesitant response to the May attack.
Sgt. Juan Maldonado was served with termination papers Friday, said Ericka Miller, a department spokeswoman. The firing comes five months after the shooting at Robb Elementary School that has put state police under scrutiny over their actions on the campus as a gunman with an AR-15-style rifle killed 19 children and two teachers.
Body camera footage and media reports have shown that DPS had a larger role at the scene than the department appeared to suggest after the May 24 shooting. State troopers were among the first wave of officers to arrive but did not immediately confront the gunman, which experts say goes against standard police procedure during mass shootings.
Instead, more than 70 minutes passed before officers finally stormed inside a fourth-grade classroom and killed the gunman, ending one of the deadliest school attacks in U.S. history. eventually made their way to the scene, including state police, Uvalde police, school officers and U.S. Border Patrol agents.after a damning report by lawmakers revealed that state police has more 90 officers at the scene, more than any other agency.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar seeks a third term, faces off against a public accountantProperty taxes are front and center in the Texas comptroller’s race as Republican incumbent Glenn Hegar seeks a third four-year term on Nov. 8 against a first-t...
Read more »
Texas public schools distribute DNA kits to help identify kids in emergenciesTexas public schools will send kids home with DNA kits to help parents identify their children's bodies in emergencies like the mass shooting at Robb Elementary in Uvalde, Texas.
Read more »
Republican candidates in Texas have double-digit lead in latest pollTexas Republicans are taking the lead in a new UT Austin-Texas Politics Project poll.
Read more »
Gov. Abbott extending his lead over Beto O'Rourke as election day approaches, poll showsTexas Gov. Greg Abbott is extending his lead over Democrat challenger Beto O'Rourke, according to a newly released University of Texas - Texas Politics Project poll.
Read more »
Texas trooper fired for inaction during Uvalde school massacre: OfficialOne of the first Texas state troopers to arrive at the scene of the May 24 elementary school mass shooting will be fired for inaction, official says.
Read more »
WATCH: Fleeing Human Smuggler Crashes into Texas River near Border, 1 Migrant KilledA human smuggler led Texas Department of Public Safety troopers on a high-speed pursuit and crashed after losing control in a curving turn.
Read more »