A new report has surfaced regarding the Uvalde, TX, mass shooting.
Audio from the bodycam footage taken that day is about to bring even more criticism of the responding officers.
There is now little doubt those officers put their own safety over that of those children that were left dying on the classroom floor.
Heartbreaking
The Texas Tribune reported the audio, with one officer stating, “He has a battle rifle,” someone warned, as another officer getting the same warning reacted with a blunt “F–k.”
State Trooper Richard Bogdanski replied, “What’s the safest way to do this?
“I’m not trying to get clapped out.”
As we now know, the officers waited more than an hour before entering the room to take out the shooter even though they had the manpower and equipment to do so far sooner.
We all understand nobody wanting to go on a suicide mission, but on the other hand, these officers signed up for a job to put their safety secondary to those children.
Every statement made by officers points to the contrary, however.
For instance, Uvalde Sgt. Donald Page stated, “There was no way of going in. We had no choice but to wait and try to get something that had better coverage where we could actually stand up to him.”
Detective Louis Landry stated, “Once we found out it was a rifle he was using, it was a different game plan we would have had to come up with.”
Detective Louis Landry later claimed they “weren’t equipped to make entry into that room without several casualties.”
“It wasn’t just going in guns blazing, the Old West style, and take him out.”
From the reports I read, they had shields at the school within 15 minutes of arriving, which still would have given them time to save those children.
Cowardice or cautious? I guess everyone will have to make up their own mind on that one.
Source: Texas Tribune
