UVALDE – Former Uvalde police chief Daniel Rodriguez is serving as a reserve officer for the department, according to the city.
In a statement shared with KSAT, the city said Rodriguez is serving in a volunteer capacity.
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“Mr. Rodriguez is required to fulfill all training obligations set forth by UPD, with no compensation or training allowance, and will be expected to volunteer his time, adhere to all department regulations, and fully comply with Texas Commission on Law Enforcement (TCOLE) requirements,” the city said.
Rodriguez resigned from the department in April 2024.
In March, Rodriguez told the Uvalde Leader-News that he was doing what was best for him and his family and said he wasn’t “forced, asked or pressured” to make the decision.
Rodriguez had been chief of police in Uvalde since 2018 but, according to the Uvalde Leader-News, he was on a scheduled vacation out of state when the shooting at Robb Elementary occurred on May 24, 2022.
Lt. Mariano Pargas was acting police chief that day.
Pargas retired six months after the shooting following reports that he spoke with a 911 dispatcher on the day of the shooting and knew there was a room “full of victims” but did not act swiftly or communicate the knowledge to other law enforcement. Despite the public scrutiny, Pargas was re-elected to his county commissioner position in November 2022.
Read more reporting on the KSAT Investigates page.