A Uvalde School District police officer has admitted to passing up a chance to shoot 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos because he was scared of hitting children behind the killer.
The admission, uncovered by the New York Times on Friday, revealed that the unnamed cop was holding an AR-15 after rushing to Robb Elementary School on May 24.
He then saw Ramos still outside the building, firing shots at a nearby funeral home.
That cop said he tried to take aim at Ramos, but was unable to do so because of children standing behind him, for fear of hitting them instead, Chief Deputy Ricardo Rios of nearby Zavalla County said.
The officer’s chance of stopping Ramos passed quickly, perhaps in seconds, Rios said. Any shot was further hampered by Ramos’ constant movement, making taking a safe shot even more difficult.
Rios said that cop feared he’d be condemned if he’d opened fire and hurt a child in the process of trying to take down Ramos.
The Times also stated conflicting reports on what the children were doing at the time. The cop who arrived on the scene claiming they were playing, while a deputy from a local sheriff’s officer said they were running from the impending massacre.
This is how the shooting played out over the course of nearly two hours from when gunman Salvador Ramos shot his grandmother at home
Friday’s revelation sheds further light on allegations cops could have stopped Ramos before he managed to murder 19 children and two teachers.
The cops involved are now under investigation from the Texas Rangers, the U.S. Justice Department and a special committee of the Texas Legislature.
This admission would mean a second missed opportunity for officers to stop Salvador Ramos before the May 24 rampage inside Robb Elementary School.
Officials said that a school district police officer had earlier driven past Ramos without seeing him in the school parking lot.
Cop > Prison !!!!