Uvalde, Texas, resident Kim Hammond proposed a plan on Tuesday to oust Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Chief Pete Arredondo from his new position as a member of the city council.
Hammond made her case at a city council meeting — which Arredondo did not attend — along with several other residents who all made it clear that they would prefer not to have him present. The embattled law enforcement officer has been missing meetings after his election following controversy surrounding his department’s botched response to the mass shooting that took place at Robb Elementary School on May 24.
In the weeks since the shooting, Arredondo has been absent from city council meetings without consequence — but that ended with Hammond’s call for them to grant him no more leeway.
The next person up is Kim Hammond. She says she lives two doors down from Robb Elementary.
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“Don’t give [Arredondo] an out. We want him out of here.”
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Item six on the agenda is discussing if Arredondo will be given an extended leave of absence from city council meetings. pic.twitter.com/y1D0UwDeLV— Amanda Henderson (@AmandaHTV) June 21, 2022
Hammond began by noting that she lived just two doors down from Robb Elementary School and had been home the day of the shooting. She went on to say that Arredondo was her representative on the council and that even though many of his constituents wanted him off the council, efforts to have him recalled had hit a dead end.
But then Hammond turned to the council and explained what they could do to send Arredondo packing, should they so choose.
WATCH:
Uvalde City Council: Extremely inspired by the lady who lives 2 doors down from the school coming up w the plan to sack Arredondo. No leave of abs. If he misses 1 more mtg he's out. If he wants to keep his job he has to show. She studied & found a technicality no one else had. pic.twitter.com/uigygoDxMu
— 🦉Serene (@MythSerene) June 22, 2022
Pointing to an upcoming agenda item for the meeting, she noted that they were about to decide whether or not to grant Arredondo a leave of absence. “Why the hell would you?” she asked, prompting applause. “Let him miss three meetings. He’s my councilman. Let him miss three. Don’t waste any more time on him.”
Hammond went on to point out the rules stating that once he had missed three meetings, the other council members could simply vote him out.
“What you can do right now is not give him — if he requested it — a leave of absence. Don’t give him an out,” she said. “We don’t want him. We want him out.”
Following Hammond’s impassioned speech, the council voted not to grant Arredondo a leave of absence — meaning that if he wants to keep his seat, he will be forced to attend meetings and face his constituents.
#BREAKING: The council votes to NOT grant Pete Arredondo a leave of absence from city council.
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“Keep in mind. He has the right to show up to the meetings.” pic.twitter.com/NviUmSMLCu— Amanda Henderson (@AmandaHTV) June 21, 2022
“She convinced the council to deny his leave of absence request. Unanimous vote. If he misses one more meeting he’s gone. Democracy in action,” Beth Elderkin tweeted in response.
She convinced the council to deny his leave of absence request. Unanimous vote. If he misses one more meeting he’s gone. Democracy in action. https://t.co/7lmzVJtFjc
— Beth Elderkin (@BethElderkin) June 22, 2022