Sen. Gutierrez calls on officials to release information related to Uvalde school shooting
TEXAS (CBSDFW.COM) - If you have concerns and questions you want answered about the police response to the Uvalde school shooting, you probably won't like what city leaders there have done.
The Uvalde City Council has hired a private law firm to block efforts that would release videos, calls and messages related to the investigation.
On Friday, a state senator called the move disgusting and said he might file a lawsuit to get those records released.
Uvalde's city leaders apparently don't want to release "highly embarrassing information" to the public about what happened at Robb Elementary School on May 24.
State Senator Roland Guitierrez said he has serious concerns that law enforcement leaders could attempt to suppress or even destroy evidence.
Weeks after the deadliest school shooting in Texas history, no new information or updates on the investigation from law enforcement despite promises of transparency.
If Uvalde's city leaders and its police department have their way, we won't get answers anytime soon.
According to Vice News, the city has hired a law firm to block the release of body cam video, 911 calls, text messages, emails and criminal records.
Vice obtained a letter to Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton arguing that releasing the records would be "highly embarrassing," cause "emotional/mental distress" and are "not of legitimate concern to the public."
"We're just in a place where none of these agencies want to tell the truth," Gutierrez said. "This community deserves that information, to be where we are right now is uncalled for, it's disgusting
Guitierrez, whose district includes Uvalde, says early missteps and inaccurate info from law enforcement have given way to secrecy after 19 students and 2 teachers were slaughtered by a gunman while officers refused to risk their lives.
"I really want to know what it is that they are hiding at this point now it's not about, what is so damning here that we can't get to the bottom of this," Gutierrez said.
The Democratic lawmaker said the Uvalde County District Attorney's Office is using the veil of a criminal investigation to refuse nearly 150 requests for public records on the case.
Guitierrez said that excuse isn't valid.
"You and I both know that the defendant is dead, the perpetrator is dead, so I don't know why we are hiding behind a criminal investigation when indeed there are no suspects any longer," Gutierrez said.
CBS 11 has learned that Texas Senate Democrats could take some kind of action early next week on this issue.
