from: James Barragan, Texas Tribune
Published:
Updated:
AUSTIN (Texas Tribune) — representative of the USA Tony Gonzalezwho represents Uvalde, on Thursday became the first major Republican to call for the resignation of Steve McCraw, director of the Department of Public Safety, over his agency’s response to a shooting at an elementary school in the city that left 19 children and two adults dead and drew attention to of a nation for its failed law enforcement response.
“DPS Director McCraw must RESIGN immediately,” Gonzalez said Twitter.
His comments followed a meeting of the Public Safety Commission, which oversees DPS, at which McCraw insisted the agency had not failed the city of Uvalde. McCraw said publicly last month that he would resign if the DPS troopers who responded to the shooting had “any culpability.”
After those comments, the agency fired its first officer involved in the incident, Sgt. Juan Maldonado, who was one of the first and oldest soldiers to reach the school. The agency revealed in September that at least five soldiers were being investigated for their conduct that day.
Law enforcement officers waited more than an hour to confront the shooter at Robb Elementary in May, investigators said it could cost a life of some of the victims.
Other politicians have also called for McCraw’s resignation. State Senator Roland Gutierrez, a Democrat who represents Uvalde, has long blamed McCraw for his agency’s response. And on Wednesday night, the Democratic gubernatorial candidate Beto O’Rourke called on McCraw to “resign immediately.”
Family members of Uvalde’s victims also continue to press for accountability from law enforcement. Those family members appeared at Thursday’s Public Safety Commission meeting and called for McCraw to resign.
This article originally appeared in The Texas Tribune on www.texastribune.org. The Texas Tribune is a nonprofit, nonpartisan media organization that informs — and engages with Texans — about public policy, politics, government and statewide issues.