On Saturday’s broadcast of the Fox News Channel’s “Fox & Friends,” Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick (R) stated that protocols were not followed in the response to the school shooting in Uvalde, and the “policemen did the right thing at the beginning, and many wanted to go in.” He added that “the police individuals did the right thing and were brave…but it was the decision, the hold that was the mistake that did not follow protocol. It was the security officer not on the campus that was the mistake. It was an open door held by a rock that allowed that person to get in.”
Patrick began by stating that while he didn’t know if they were lied to or if people simply didn’t remember the events properly, “We were told that there was a security officer, and they were a little hazy on how the engagement went, but that a security officer was there. Well, it turned out he was not on campus. He drove onto the campus, but he was not on campus as we were told and led to believe. No one mentioned the fact that there was this 45-minute to an hour hold by the chief of the police of the school district while there were still shots being fired. Now, we believe that most of those shots were being fired into the door or the wall to hold back law enforcement, but we don’t know.”
Co-host Pete Hegseth then asked, “Lt. Gov., ultimately, now that we do know the information and we think we know better what transpired, did the police act the right way based on what they knew? I mean, with a full appreciation of what law enforcement does, we know that, based on what you know, did they follow the right protocols to try to get those kids?”
Patrick answered, “No. Col. Steve McCraw, head of our state troopers who took over the investigation after the fact with the Texas Rangers…he was right yesterday, they did not follow protocol.”
Patrick continued, “But let me be very clear about something because there’s been some misunderstanding or misreporting, and that is, people feel like the case in Parkland where no one went in, these police went in within four minutes or so of after the shooter went in through that unlocked door, which should have never happened, that open door. But they were there three or four minutes, and they bravely encountered him, and they were shot, some of them were wounded. No one left the school. They hunkered down in the hallway, about 19 of them during this time so that he did not escape anywhere else in the school. So, these policemen did the right thing at the beginning, and many wanted to go in. And the police chief — look, this is a six-man or seven-man police department — the police chief — and you know he’ll [live with this] the rest of his life. But he was in charge. He was the incident commander. He made that decision to hold. And again, he’ll have to live with that the rest of his life. But make no mistake, no policeman ran out. They stayed. And in the end, by Border Patrol — or a combination of people led by the Border Patrol — went in against this assault weapon. And you know, Pete, you know that when you go in there, one, two, three or more of them could be killed. So, the police individuals did the right thing and were brave, and I know the people outside, the parents were hearing these shots and some thought maybe the police were not doing anything, but it was the decision, the hold that was the mistake that did not follow protocol. It was the security officer not on the campus that was the mistake. It was an open door held by a rock that allowed that person to get in. And don’t — and, look, that teacher will live with that decision also.”
Patrick further stated, “The police that went in were brave. The police that were on hold were following their orders. Eventually, some went in and said, it’s time to go. But it was a bad decision. And that decision cost lives.”
Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett
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