Oh Rilly Now?

Remember the absolutely Keystone Kop quality police force of Uvalde, Texas? That’s the town where an 18-year-old massacred 19 kids and two teachers at Robb Elementary School in May 2022. Even though the cops arrived on the scene within minutes of getting the call, it was 77 minutes before Police Chief Pete Arredondo had his team go into the school to confront the killer.

At its core, the committee report echoes criticisms made previously by police tactics experts: that instead of following the doctrine developed after the 1999 Columbine High School massacre, which dictates that officers immediately confront active shooters, police at Robb Elementary retreated after coming under fire and then waited for backup.

“They failed to prioritize saving the lives of innocent victims over their own safety,” the committee said in its report. 

The report lists myriad law enforcement mistakes, which expanded far beyond any single commander or agency. They stemmed not from a lack of manpower, but from an absence of leadership and effective communications. (source) 

Why’s Uvalde’s ace squad back in the news now?

Well, it has to do with Texas Republican Congressman Tony Gonzales and the awful, fiery death of his aide Regina Santos-Aviles.

The report (from the paywalled Uvalde Leader News) states that at roughly 9:40 p.m. on Sept. 13, the Uvalde Police Department, EMS, and Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department arrived at Santos-Aviles' residence.

When crews arrived, police officers told the firefighters that Santos-Aviles had "doused herself in gasoline and was ignited into flames," according to the Uvalde Volunteer Fire Department.  (source) 

Let’s assume just for a moment that the cops weren’t lying about Regina taking a gasoline shower and lighting herself up. Are they implying this was an accidental dousing and stop, drop, and roll didn't work? Are they saying this was suicide? Ya know how uncommon that is? In North America and Europe, 0.6% to 1.2% of all suicides are by self-immolation. Why so rare? It’s an extremely, gruesomely painful way to go – it’s not quick or a 100% guaranteed departure from this plane of existence. Depending on age and other factors, survival rate can be as high as 50%.

Self-immolation totally doesn’t live up to the tribute from the theme song from M*A*S*H. 

No, I don’t believe for one red hot minute this was suicide.

It’s just come out that Republican Congressman Tony and Ms. Santos-Aviles were having an affair. A Republican having an affair?! Shocking, I know. Gonzales and his wife Angel have six children, by the way. I wonder if he sends them to Robb Elementary School. I wonder if Angel was aware of Tony's dalliance? Six kids adds up to a LOT of child support payments, if ya follow where I'm headed.

Uvalde Police Chief Homer Delgado said "today, our agency received preliminary findings from DPS personnel confirming that Regina Santos-Aviles was alone in her backyard when the fire began, which ultimately caused significant injuries and required her transport to the emergency room.”  Sure, Homer old buddy.

He’s also published a “glowing endorsement” of Republican Rep. Gonzales’s 'Team Tony' Facebook page and other social media sites.

Can you say 'cover-up' and ‘complete suck up,’ boys and girls?

Police are inevitably corrupted... it takes a pretty dull policeman to miss the fact that the position of authority is the most prosperous criminal position available.
~ Frank Herbert