Uvalde trial takes dramatic turn as key witness changes testimony

From Texas Public Radio:

CORPUS CHRISTI — The trial of a former Uvalde school district police officer accused of child endangerment in the Robb Elementary shooting took an unexpected turn Tuesday after testimony from a teacher prompted defense objections and halted proceedings for the day.

The shooting on May 24, 2022 killed 19 children and two teachers.

Stephanie Hale, a former teacher at the school, testified that she saw the gunman on the south side of the campus — the same area where former Uvalde CISD officer Adrian Gonzales was located. Defense attorneys immediately objected, arguing Hale’s testimony differed from statements she gave to a Texas Ranger during a 2022 legislative investigation.

The jury was dismissed until Thursday while attorneys prepare arguments on motions related to the testimony. Judge Sid Harle is scheduled to hear those arguments Wednesday, without the jury present. The defense has raised the possibility of a mistrial.

Gonzales faces 29 counts of abandoning or endangering a child: one count for each child who was inside the classrooms. Prosecutors allege Gonzales failed to confront the shooter despite being among the first officers on scene.

The first day of the trial in Nueces County began with a pretrial hearing to determine what evidence and testimony could be presented, followed by opening statements.

Special prosecutor Bill Turner told jurors that Gonzales, a veteran officer, arrived before the shooter entered the school and had a duty to engage.

“We’re not asking Adrian Gonzales to commit suicide,” Turner said. “He was trained to go to the corner of a building and distract, delay, and impede the gunman while help is arriving. So why are we here? When a child is in danger and calls 911, we have the right to expect a response.”

Defense attorneys delivered a longer opening statement, walking jurors through a second-by-second timeline of events using aerial images of the campus. Attorney Nico LaHood argued Gonzales acted based on the information available to him and should not be held responsible for the massacre.

“There’s an animal involved in this situation, a monster, and he’s no longer here,” LaHood said. “That monster can’t sit in that chair.”

During witness testimony, Hale’s account became the focal point of the day. Defense attorneys said her testimony placed the shooter closer to Gonzales than previously indicated and accused prosecutors of failing to disclose the change.

“That’s why I have to ask these questions,” said defense attorney Jason Goss. “Because the things you’re testifying to today are not the things you told the Ranger at the time.”

Victims’ families expressed concern that the development could jeopardize the prosecution’s case. Manuel Rizo, the uncle of Jackie Cazares, one of the 19 children killed, said the delay was painful.

“We’re already anxious, and now we’re upset,” Rizo said. “All we want is justice for Jackie. It’s been three and a half years, and here we are.”

Criminologist Alex del Carmen, who has trained police departments across Texas, said the case remains difficult to predict, estimating the chance of conviction at roughly 50 percent.

“There’s always going to be public pressure that a police officer should be given the benefit of the doubt,” del Carmen said.

Multiple state and federal reviews have concluded that the law enforcement response to the shooting was a failure. Nearly 400 officers were on scene, and it took more than an hour to confront the gunman.

Gonzales and former Uvalde CISD police chief Pete Arredondo are the only officers criminally charged. Arredondo is awaiting a separate trial.

Gonzales’s trial is being held in Corpus Christi after a judge granted a change of venue, citing concerns that an impartial jury could not be seated in Uvalde.

If you found the reporting above valuable, please consider making a donation to support it here. Your gift helps pay for everything you find on texasstandard.org and TPR.org. Thanks for donating today.