FIRST ON CNN: Acting police chief on day of Uvalde school massacre resigns from department, mayor says - CNN

CNN  — 

Lt. Mariano Pargas, the acting constabulary main connected the time of the Robb Elementary School massacre, has resigned from the Uvalde Police Department, Mayor Don McLaughlin said Thursday afternoon.

Pargas’ resignation comes up of a uncommon Saturday “special meeting” that was called by the metropolis to determine his fate. His resignation is effectual immediately, according to McLaughlin.

Pargas, 65, was expected to beryllium terminated during Saturday’s scheduled meeting, if helium had not been terminated by then.

He was placed connected administrative leave by McLaughlin successful July erstwhile videos from body-worn cameras raised questions astir whether helium had taken immoderate enactment to presume command. A recent CNN report demonstrated Pargas was alert students were live and needed rescue during the shooting but failed to signifier help.

When CNN reached Pargas by telephone seeking remark Monday, helium said helium was incapable to speech astir thing to bash with the constabulary section connected the proposal of his lawyers.

A preliminary study by the Texas House investigative committee successful July excoriated aggregate instrumentality enforcement agencies for their deficiency of enactment that day, describing “an wide lackadaisical approach” by authorities.

“There is nary 1 to whom we tin property malice oregon sick motives,” the study said. “Instead, we recovered systemic failures and egregious mediocre determination making.”

Angry relatives of immoderate of the children killed successful the May 24 shooting person demanded Pargas discontinue his relation arsenic a Uvalde region commissioner.

“He was made alert that radical were injured and dying and yet helium did nothing. A young miss called 911 successful country 112 asking for assistance and helium simply near her and different radical to die,” said Jesse Rizzo, citing exclusive CNN reporting from this week, astatine a Uvalde County Commission gathering wherever families lined up to knock Pargas.

Rizzo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie Cazares was killed with 18 different children and 2 of their teachers, continued: “You person brought shame to the community, you person brought shame to instrumentality enforcement, you person tarnished the badge.”

Rizzo was addressing an bare chair, arsenic Pargas did not crook up for the meeting.

Pargas was reelected to the committee earlier this month, defeating 3 write-in candidates who included Jackie Cazares’s father, Javier Cazares.