Some Uvalde police officers did not record body camera footage while responding to Robb Elementary School, texts reveal

UVALDE, Texas – Despite more than two dozen Uvalde police officers responding to the 2022 Robb Elementary School massacre, records released by the city of Uvalde include body camera video from only five of them.

The body camera videos are among a trove of records released by the city days after a district court judge ordered their release.

KSAT reviewed twelve body camera clips from the five officers, including a view of the moment police stormed into classrooms more than 70 minutes after the gunman entered the school.

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

A Texas House investigative report released in July 2022 revealed that 25 UPD officers were among hundreds of law enforcement officers who responded to the elementary school during the shooting response.

The released records include text messages sent three days after the shooting. Texas Rangers Lt. Jason Bobo contacted Uvalde Police Sgt. Eduardo Canales to request body camera and dash camera footage.

“I have most of the body camera footage,” Canales wrote in a text message to Bobo. “However, some officers were not recording or did not have time to grab a Police Department body camera when they rushed to the scene.”

The Uvalde Police body camera policy, which went into effect in 2015, states that officers who are equipped with one must activate it during:

• Traffic stops

• Persecutions

• DWI investigations, including field sobriety tests

• While court orders are being complied with

• Research stops

• Any contact that becomes adversarial

The policy also says officers must activate the camera when they stop or make an arrest, attempt to stop or make an arrest, or are in a situation where they are likely to stop or arrest someone.

“These recordings can be useful for documenting evidence, preparing crime reports, and future court testimony,” the policy said. “These records can also protect employees from false accusations of misconduct and be useful for reporting incidents or evaluating performance.”

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