One officer asked his supervisor if he could shoot the attacker but got no answer, despite penal code not requiring permission

A newly released report found Uvalde police missed multiple opportunities to take down the gunman that killed 21 people at Robb elementary in May.

The report, released by Texas State University’s Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) Center, said a Uvalde police officer asked his supervisor if he could shoot the gunman that killed students and teachers at Robb Elementary, but got no answer.

The report also found the police officer, who was armed and outside, requested to shoot the gunman before he entered the building. “Prior to the suspect’s entry into the building at 11:33:00, according to statements, a Uvalde police officer on scene at the crash site observed the suspect carrying a rifle outside the west hall entry. The officer, armed with a rifle, asked his supervisor for permission to shoot the suspect. However, the supervisor either did not hear or responded too late.”

But according to the Texas penal code, the officer did not need to seek permission because the use of deadly force is justified “to prevent the commission of murder”.