DOJ Makes Important Announcement About Probing Police Response in Uvalde – Opinion

The Justice Department has just announced that they will be performing a “Critical Incident Review” of how law enforcement handled the mass shooting in Uvalde, Texas.

#BREAKING
US Dept of Justice “will conduct a Critical Incident Review of the law enforcement response to the mass shooting in #Uvalde, #Texas,” per DOJ stmt:

“The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings.”#RobbElementary #RobbElementarySchool pic.twitter.com/Jg91GACyKu

— Devon Heinen (@DevonHeinen) May 29, 2022

Don McLaughlin (May 24, Uvalde mayor) requested the U.S. Department of Justice to conduct a Critical Incident Review of Uvalde’s law enforcement response.

This review will provide an impartial account of all law enforcement actions and their responses. It also will identify the lessons learned and best practices that can be used to assist first responders in responding to active shooter incidents. The review will be conducted with the Department’s Office of Community Oriented Policing.

As with prior Justice Department after-action reviews of mass shootings and other critical incidents, this assessment will be fair, transparent, and independent,” he added. “The Justice Department will publish a report with its findings at the conclusion of its review.

There are many questions regarding the police response to the shooting. Although students were still inside, Uvalde’s chief of police decided to consider the incident a barricaded subject rather than an active shooting situation. So, he wouldn’t allow the police to go in after the shooter. From the moment police arrived at the scene, it was almost an hour before a Border Patrol tactical team entered and shot the gunman.

As I noted earlier in my story about Biden’s visit to Uvalde on Sunday, he said he would do something, in response to people shouting outside the Sacred Heart Catholic Church as he was leaving. It’s not clear what he meant by that remark, although he has called for an assault weapons ban again. That’s what some of the local people there were concerned about — that the remembrances on Sunday would be politicized.