UVALDE, Texas – Uvalde Police Chief Daniel Rodriguez turned in his resignation letter on Tuesday, a Uvalde public information officer confirmed to KSAT.
The spokesperson said Rodriguez would remain in his position for several more weeks and said a statement would be prepared and disseminated later on Tuesday afternoon.
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The Uvalde Leader-News reported that the resignation came during a staff meeting and would take effect on April 6.
Rodriguez told the local newspaper that he was doing what was best for him and his family and said he wasn’t “forced, asked or pressured” to make the decision.
Rodriguez has been chief of police in Uvalde since 2018 but, according to the Uvalde Leader-News, he was on a scheduled vacation out of state when the May 24, 2022 Robb Elementary massacre occurred.
Lt. Mariano Pargas was acting police chief that day. Pargas retired six months after the shooting following reports that he spoke with a 911 dispatcher on the day of the shooting and knew there was a room “full of victims” but did not act swiftly or communicate the knowledge to other law enforcement. Despite the public scrutiny, Pargas was re-elected to his county commissioner position in November of 2022.
Last week, Austin-area investigator Jesse Prado presented his Independent Expert Investigative Report into the Uvalde Police Department’s response to the shooting.
Prado said the department did not commit any wrongdoing or violate any policy in its response to the elementary school.
Instead, Prado placed the blame on communication issues, crowds outside the school and officers not having the correct keys on hand.
The Prado report conflicts with the assessments made in a report released by the Department of Justice, which pointed a finger at Pargas and his lack of action that day.
Uvalde Mayor Cody Smith released the following statement after Uvalde Chief of Police Daniel Rodriguez announced his resignation:
“The City of Uvalde is grateful to Chief Rodriguez for his 26 years of service to our community and we wish him the best as he pursues new career opportunities. Assistant Chief of Police Homer Delgado will be named Interim Chief of Police, as the City Manager and I undertake the search for a full-time replacement in consultation with the City Council. Nothing is more important than the safety of our community, and we look forward to working together to identify the best candidate to serve the people of Uvalde.”
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