Pete Arredondo fired Transcript

Speaker 1: (00:02)
This morning, the Uvalde school board firing school police chief, Pete Arredondo.

Speaker 2: (00:07)
I move that good cause exists to terminate the non-certified contract of Pete Arredondo effectively immediately.

Speaker 1: (00:15)
The decision coming three months after 19 children and two teachers were gunned down at Robb Elementary School, family and survivors packing the school board meeting, demanding justice.

Speaker 3: (00:27)
I have messages for Pete Arredondo and all the law enforcement that were there that day. Turn in your badge and step down. You don’t deserve to wear one.

Speaker 1: (00:37)
The outrage, community taking the mic while the board met in closed sessions to determine the school police chief’s fate.

Speaker 4: (00:44)
Our babies are dead. Our teachers are dead. The least you all can do is show us the respect to do this in the public. If it was one of your children, heads would be rolling right now.

Speaker 1: (00:57)
Arredondo not showing up, but his attorney released a 17 page statement saying, “Chief Arredondo will not participate in his own illegal and unconstitutional public lynching and respectfully requests the board immediately reinstate him with all backpay and benefits and close the complaint as unfounded.” The grandfather of Leila Salazar, who was killed in the shooting, spoke to ABC’s John Quinones after the meeting.

Vicenta Salazar: (01:25)
I think that the termination was long coming. I think it should have been done immediately, but it wasn’t. I think he should be charged with manslaughter.

Speaker 1: (01:36)
Arredondo has been heavily criticized for lacking leadership during the shooting, telling the Texas Tribune that he never considered himself the scene incident commander. A blistering report found a command post was never set up, leading to a breakdown in communication between officers. Arredondo testified that the officers prioritized evacuating children over taking down the attacker. Police cameras captured Arredondo’s attempts to talk to the shooter.

Pete Arredondo: (02:05)
Please don’t hurt anyone.

Speaker 1: (02:07)
This, as children inside the classrooms frantically called 911 for more than an hour. It was the border patrol that breached the classroom, 77 minutes into the attack, finally taking down the gunman. Arredondo is now threatening a lawsuit. Meanwhile, some of the victims’ families are now planning a 27 billion lawsuit.

George Stephanopoulos: (02:32)
Hi everyone, George Stephanopoulos here. Thanks for checking out the ABC News YouTube channel. If you’d like to get more videos, show highlights, and watch live event coverage, click on the right over here to subscribe to our channel and don’t forget to download the ABC News app for breaking news alerts. Thanks for watching.