UVALDE, Texas – Former Uvalde CISD police chief Pete Arredondo and a second former school district police officer accused of failing to protect children during the Robb Elementary shooting are scheduled to appear in court in Uvalde on Thursday.
Arredondo and Adrian Gonzales are scheduled to appear for a 10 a.m. evidentiary hearing at the Uvalde County Justice Center.
Recommended Videos
The appearance comes days after prosecutors filed paperwork opposing a motion from Arredondo’s attorneys to throw out his indictment.
Nineteen students and two teachers were killed by a gunman at Robb Elementary on May 24, 2022. Law enforcement took 77 minutes to confront the shooter.
Arredondo and Gonzales were indicted this summer following a lengthy investigation by a grand jury in Uvalde.
Gonzales faces 29 counts of abandoning/endangering a child, while Arredondo faces 10 counts of abandoning/endangering a child.
In a motion to quash the amended indictment filed last month, attorneys for Arredondo argued that the indictment does not charge a crime, because only the gunman placed children in danger.
The motion also argues that the indictment lacks elements of law, statutes outlining peace officer duties are vague and that Arredondo is immune from prosecution because he was a peace officer at the time of the shooting, records show.
“If the State is allowed to proceed in this manner, all Texas peace officers should be terrified,” the motion states.
In a response to the motion filed this week, prosecutors argued that child endangerment laws apply even if the danger originates from another person.
The response states specific reckless acts and omissions by Arredondo were properly included in the indictment.
They include allegations the then-chief failed to follow active shooter protocols and contributed to a delayed response from law enforcement by prioritizing evacuations over immediate actions, the response states.
It is unclear if the judge overseeing the case will discuss Arredondo’s motion on Thursday.
Find more Uvalde coverage on KSAT.com here
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.
