Uvalde cop seen checking his phone is HUSBAND of teacher gunned down by Salvador Ramos
A Texas politician revealed that the Uvalde cop seen checking his phone in the early stages of the Robb Elementary School massacre is the husband of teacher Eva Mireles.
She was one of the 21 people who were killed by crazed gunman Salvador Ramos at Robb Elementary School on May 24.
In the footage of the shooting that was leaked on July 12, Ruiz was shown entering the school and checking his phone. He was one of the first group officers to respond to the initial 911 call.
The day after the leak, Texas state Rep. Joe Moody tweeted the picture of Ruiz on his phone and wrote: ‘This is the husband of teacher Eva Mireles, who contacted him on his phone from her classroom while he was on-scene to say that she’d been shot and was dying.’
Moody is a member of the The Texas Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting.
In June, it emerged that Ruiz had been restrained by other officers and even had his gun taken from him in order to prevent him from attacking Salvador Ramos.
Moody added: ‘I’d not planned to speak publicly until the report was released, but I couldn’t say nothing seeing this man, who’s lost everything, maligned as if he was indifferent or actively malicious. Context matters.’
He concluded: ‘To those who haven’t bothered to read even the news that’s been reported in your rush to judgment, he attempted to engage but was removed from the building and disarmed. We’ll have much to say about the police response, but no criticism of this officer.’
Moody is a member of the The Texas Investigative Committee on the Robb Elementary Shooting
The full video of the horrific Robb Elementary School massacre is due to be released on July 17
Fourth grade teacher Eva Mireles, 44, was gunned down at Robb Elementary School. She was an avid hiker, runner and sometimes biker
In June, Texas Department of Public Safety Director Col. Steven McCraw testified at a Texas Senate hearing regarding Ruiz’s presence at the school on May 24.
McCraw said that Ruiz’s wife contacted her husband while the shooting was happening and said that ‘she had been shot and was dying.’
The colonel added: ‘As he tried to move forward into the hallway, he was detained and they took his gun away from him and escorted him off the scene.’
Ruiz is a 16-year veteran of the Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District police force.
The symbol of the Marvel comic book hero The Punisher could be seen on his phone in the leaked footage. In recent years, The Punisher has come to symbolize the Blue Lives Matter movement.
Uvalde Consolidated Independent School District Police Officer Ruben Ruiz, 43, the husband of slain teacher Eva Mireles, 44, trained in active shooter drills in March
The police officer checks his phone while Salvador Ramos’ rampage is ongoing. The officer’s background image shows the pro-police symbol The Punisher
The footage is in contrast to that of Uvalde County Sheriff’s deputy Felix Rubio who was shown in the video, crying, being restrained and gesticulating as heavily armed cops stall in the hallway before engaging Salvador Ramos.
Ramos’ daughter, Lexi, was among the 19 children that were killed that day. She was 10 years old.
Both Rubio and Ramos had recently completed active shooter drills as part of their law enforcement training not long before the Uvalde massacre.
Close to the end of the stand off, Uvalde County Sheriff’s Deputy Felix Rubio, bottom right, is shown being restrained by brother officers from engaging Ramos
This photo of Kimberly and Felix with their daughter was taken just hours before crazed gunman Salvador Ramos began his rampage
Hours after the leaked footage emerged, Uvalde Mayor Don McLoughlin attacked the media for the release at a city council meeting.
Mayor McLoughlin repeatedly referred to the release of the video as ‘chicken’ and referred to the leak as ‘unprofessional.’ Following his remarks, another member of the council chimes in and says: ‘The mayor said that it was ‘chicken,’ it was chickens**t.’
McLoughlin told a city council meeting on July 12: ‘The way that video was released today is one of the most chicken things I’ve ever seen.’
The mayor said : Yes, I’ve wanted the video released but all these news agencies knew that we were working with the House committee.’
McLoughlin also alluded the video not showing the complete context of the police’s actions saying that one of the officers who was grazed in the shooting ran down the hall three times in an attempt to engage Ramos.
Mayor Don McLoughlin told a city council meeting on July 12: ‘The way that video was released today is one of the most chicken things I’ve ever seen’
He reiterated the original plan had been for officials to meet on Sunday morning, provide a report to the parents and then have family member come back a 2:00 p.m. for a question-and-answer session. Then the video was to be released.
Multiple members of the community were also unhappy about the makeshift memorial to the victims of the shooting being removed on July 8.
One resident accused the council of being involved in a ‘f***ing cover-up’ of the removal.’ The mayor said the family’s were asked to remove their mementos but they disagreed, reports KSAT’s Leigh Waldman.
A member of victim Layla Salazar’s family said they were told they ‘had’ to remove crosses from the memorial.
Officials earlier said that in the two weeks prior to the removal of the memorial, they had been working with the families to dissemble the tribute. A permanent memorial is in the works, according to lawmakers.