Daijiworld Media Network - Texas
Texas, Jan 22: A Texas jury on Wednesday acquitted Adrian Gonzales, a former Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police officer, of all charges related to allegations that he failed to act during the Robb Elementary School shooting, marking only the second prosecution of its kind in the United States.
Gonzales, who was the first law enforcement officer to arrive at the school while the 18-year-old gunman was still outside, was found not guilty on 29 counts of child endangerment or abandonment. This was the first criminal case to arise directly from the May 2022 tragedy that claimed the lives of 19 children and two teachers.
The former officer, who pleaded not guilty, did not testify in his own defence. Prosecutors argued that Gonzales failed to follow his active shooter training and did nothing to stop the attacker during the initial moments of the shooting, despite allegedly having sufficient time and information.
The defence countered these claims, stating that Gonzales did not see the gunman upon arrival and instead worked to evacuate students from classrooms, acting within the limits of what he knew at the time.
The massacre drew nationwide outrage after it was revealed that hundreds of police officers waited for 77 minutes before confronting and killing the shooter, triggering years of investigations and scrutiny over the delayed response.
Judge Sid Harle read out the verdict after the jury deliberated for just over seven hours. Gonzales had faced a possible sentence of six months to two years in jail and a fine of up to $10,000 per count if convicted.
“I know it was not easy for you,” Judge Harle told jurors after the acquittal, thanking them for their service and patience during the emotionally charged trial.
Scenes in the courtroom were tense as the verdict was delivered. Family members of the victims were seen silently sobbing, while Gonzales and his relatives were emotional, embracing one another after the decision.
Outside the courtroom, Jesse Rizo, uncle of a nine-year-old victim, expressed anguish and frustration. “I respect the jury’s decision, but what message does it send?” he asked reporters. “Wait for everybody to be killed? Slaughtered? Massacred?”
Gonzales declined to directly address the victims’ families after the verdict, saying briefly, “Not right now.”
In closing arguments earlier in the day, special prosecutor Bill Turner told jurors their verdict would send a powerful message about police accountability. “If it’s appropriate to stand outside hearing 100 shots while children are being slaughtered, that is your decision to tell the state of Texas,” he said.
Defence attorney Jason Goss, however, warned that a guilty verdict could have a chilling effect on law enforcement. “What you’re telling police officers is don’t react, don’t respond,” he argued, adding that officers should not face prosecution for imperfect decisions made in crisis situations.
During the trial, prosecutors called 35 witnesses, including teachers, parents, law enforcement officers and medical experts, in an effort to show Gonzales was aware of the shooter’s movements and gunfire. The defence called just two witnesses, focusing instead on cross-examining prosecution witnesses and questioning what Gonzales knew and when he knew it.
The verdict has once again reignited debate in the US over police responsibility, accountability and legal standards in active shooter situations.