"Uvalde police chief resigns after controversial report cleared officers who responded to school shooting" was first published by The Texas Tribune, a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs Texans — and engages with them — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.

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The Uvalde police chief who was on vacation during the Robb Elementary School shooting — but who also led a department with officers that didn’t receive sufficient active shooter training — resigned on Tuesday. He told the local newspaper it was a decision in the best interest of his family.

Daniel Rodriguez’ resignation comes days after a city-sanctioned review of the May 24, 2022 shooting response cleared all local officers of wrongdoing — and at points praised those officers’ actions. Those findings were in contrast to previous audits of the police response that faulted law enforcement at all levels, in part due to lack of training.

Nineteen children and two teachers were killed in the massacre that’s been defined by a catastrophic police response and failure of leadership resulting in children being trapped with the gunman for more than an hour. Some of the children called 911 from the classrooms, begging for help as responding officers stood in the hallway.

Last week’s city-sanctioned report infuriated families of the children killed and at least two City Council members who publicly condemned the report.

Rodriguez, however, told the Uvalde Leader News that he was “not forced, asked or pressured by anyone in the city or the community to make the decision that I made” in resigning.

“I want to express my deepest appreciation to all of my colleagues and team members for their unwavering support, professionalism, and dedication to our mission of serving and protecting the community,” Rodriguez wrote in his resignation letter, according to the Leader News, which first reported the development. “It has been a privilege to work alongside such talented and committed individuals, and I will miss our collaborations and camaraderie dearly.”

Rodriguez did not immediately respond to inquiries from The Tribune.

Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith expressed gratitude for the chief’s 26 years of service on the city’s police force. Smith named assistant police chief Homer Delgado as interim chief.

“We wish him the best as he pursues new career opportunities,” Smith said in an unsigned statement. “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."

This is a developing story.

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This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune at https://www.texastribune.org/2024/03/12/uvalde-police-chief-resigns/.

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