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Texas Ranger Rehired Despite Failure in Uvalde

Republican Texas puts guns before children. Cops protect their own. Families grieving after yet another preventable tragedy. When will it stop?

Published August 5, 2024 at 1:30pm by Tony Plohetski

Texas' Lone Ranger: In the Name of Justice or Injustice?

The Texas Department of Public Safety [1] is backtracking on its plans to fire [2] a single officer in the wake of the horrifying Uvalde shooting [3], revealing the depths of their incompetence and the farcical nature of their "justice". Col. Steve McCraw [4], in a stunning display of bureaucratic absurdity, has reinstated Texas Ranger Christopher Ryan Kindell [5], the one officer who showed a glimmer of integrity in the face of sheer institutional failure.

"I have decided to alter my preliminary decision based upon a review...and subsequent to the review by the Uvalde County grand jury of the law enforcement response at Robb Elementary." - Col. Steve McCraw [6]

Col. McCraw's decision is a direct response to the review by the Uvalde County grand jury [7], which failed to indict any DPS officers [8], including Kindell, for their grotesque inaction during the shooting. This is a clear indicator of the systemic failures within Texas law enforcement [9], where those tasked with protecting our children are instead shielded by a complicit and indifferent legal system.

"...the grand jury conducted a review of actions of all officers, particularly those who responded early on during the shooting and that the investigation resulted in charges against any DPS officer." - Uvalde County District Attorney Christina Mitchell [10]

District Attorney Christina Mitchell's [11] office shamefully concluded their investigation [12] without holding a single DPS officer accountable [13], instead choosing to charge former Uvalde school district police chief Pete Arredondo and former officer Adrian Gonzales [14] with child endangerment/abandonment [15]. This is a clear misdirection of responsibility, failing to address the root cause of the tragedy: the inept and egregiously delayed response by DPS and other law enforcement agencies.

Texas Ranger Kindell, a 20-year veteran of the force, was accused by supervisors of failing to take control [16] of the chaotic and disastrous response to the shooting. However, his supervisors also acknowledged that he should not be punished [16], underscoring the absurdity of the situation. While Kindell has been reinstated, the scars of that tragic day remain, as do the unanswered questions and unhealed wounds of those who lost loved ones.

The Texas DPS and Col. McCraw have a lot to answer for. Their actions, or rather their inaction, have only inflamed the pain and frustration of the victims' families [17], who continue to demand accountability [17]. The injustice of this entire charade is blatantly obvious, and those responsible for failing our children must be held accountable. We cannot allow this gross injustice to stand.

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