Lead Investigator In Uvalde Police Probe Had No Active Shooter Training: Report

[mwai_chat context=”Let’s have a discussion about this article:nnJesse Prado, an Austin-based investigator, shares his findings at a special city council meeting in Uvalde, Texas, on March 7, 2024.via Associated PressThe lead investigator hired to scrutinize the police response to the 2022 mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas, had no active shooter training, a local news station reported. Texas Commission on Law Enforcement records obtained by KSAT show that investigator Jesse Prado — who ultimately cleared all Uvalde police officers of wrongdoing in a shooting that left 19 children and two teachers dead — had no active shooter training over the course of his 20 years with the Austin (Texas) Police Department. Advertisement

The city of Uvalde hired Prado in July 2022 to lead an independent investigation into local police officers’ response to the incident. Prado presented his findings in March and said that no local police officers violated department policy. The council has not decided whether to accept the report’s findings. Several months after the shooting, Col. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, testified that there were enough police officers on scene that day to stop the gunman three minutes after he entered the building. Instead, officers waited 77 minutes to confront the shooter. McCraw called the response an “abject failure.” Uvalde Mayor Pro Tem Everardo Zamora told KSAT that when hiring Prado, the City Council took the advice of the city’s attorneys, with the firm Tarski Law. Neither Zamora nor the city of Uvalde returned HuffPost’s requests for comment. Prado told HuffPost he couldn’t comment.Brett Cross, whose 10-year-old son, Uziyah, died in the shooting at Robb Elementary School, told HuffPost on Wednesday that Prado’s hiring is “par for the course in Uvalde.”Advertisement

“Imagine that: They hired someone unqualified to push a narrative that they wanted,” Cross said. “Our dead children are more qualified to investigate these officers than him.”Parents of the victims also spoke before the city council on Tuesday, hoping local leaders would formally reject Prado’s investigation. The investigation found that found that three of the first police officers on scene were Uvalde police officers and they all acted in “good faith.” But parents said the council refused to address KSAT’s report.“Are y’all not tired of being the joke of this country,” Cross, who was wearing a shirt that read “Uvalde Police Department Failed Our Children,” asked during the meeting.Cross also accused city attorney Paul Tarski, who did not look in Cross’ direction, of not caring about the residents. Tarski did not return requests for comment.Tuesday night was the first city council meeting since Cody Smith resigned as mayor Monday night due to medical issues. Advertisement

Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece, Jackie Cazares, was killed in the shooting, said he wishes Smith the best but said victims’ families do not have the ability to “check out” or resign. Rizo asked Tarski if Prado would still meet with the families — something Prado previously said he would do — but Tarski said he couldn’t comment. Rizo also asked the city council if they would ever address Prado’s investigation. Zamora responded, “Lawyers are talking to lawyers.”Support HuffPostOur 2024 Coverage Needs YouYour Loyalty Means The World To UsAt HuffPost, we believe that everyone needs high-quality journalism, but we understand that not everyone can afford to pay for expensive news subscriptions. That is why we are committed to providing deeply reported, carefully fact-checked news that is freely accessible to everyone.Whether you come to HuffPost for updates on the 2024 presidential race, hard-hitting investigations into critical issues facing our country today, or trending stories that make you laugh, we appreciate you. The truth is, news costs money to produce, and we are proud that we have never put our stories behind an expensive paywall.Would you join us to help keep our stories free for all? Your contribution of as little as $2 will go a long way.As Americans head to the polls in 2024, the very future of our country is at stake. At HuffPost, we believe that a free press is critical to creating well-informed voters. That’s why our journalism is free for everyone, even though other newsrooms retreat behind expensive paywalls.Our journalists will continue to cover the twists and turns during this historic presidential election. With your help, we’ll bring you hard-hitting investigations, well-researched analysis and timely takes you can’t find elsewhere. Reporting in this current political climate is a responsibility we do not take lightly, and we thank you for your support.Contribute as little as $2 to keep our news free for all.Dear HuffPost ReaderThank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. Would you consider becoming a regular HuffPost contributor?Dear HuffPost ReaderThank you for your past contribution to HuffPost. We are sincerely grateful for readers like you who help us ensure that we can keep our journalism free for everyone.The stakes are high this year, and our 2024 coverage could use continued support. If circumstances have changed since you last contributed, we hope you’ll consider contributing to HuffPost once more.Support HuffPostAlready contributed? Log in to hide these messages.Relatedmass shootingsUvalde, TexasUvalde Ma …nnDiscussion:nn” ai_name=”RocketNews AI: ” start_sentence=”Can I tell you more about this article?” text_input_placeholder=”Type ‘Yes'”]