UVALDE, Texas – Former Uvalde CISD police officer Adrian Gonzales, who has pleaded not guilty to 29 counts of child endangerment and abandonment stemming from his response to the 2022 Robb Elementary School shooting, is asking a judge to move his trial out of Uvalde County.
Related: School district releases Robb Elementary shooting records
Related: Former Uvalde CISD officer pleads not guilty to 29 charges of child endangerment
Gonzales’ attorneys argued in a motion filed that he cannot receive a fair and impartial trial locally due to the deep emotional wounds, grief, and extensive media coverage surrounding the massacre that killed 19 children and two teachers and injured 17 others. The filing cites inflammatory public statements from officials and the close-knit nature of the Uvalde community as additional reasons a change of venue is necessary.
Related: Former Uvalde district officer arrested on 29 charge
Unlike the ALERRT program now considered the state standard, the Uvalde training taught officers to “avoid, deny, defend” rather than the current emphasis on “stop the killing, stop the dying, then render medical aid.”
One notable line from the training materials read: “A first responder unwilling to place the lives of the innocent above their own safety should consider another career field.”
Gonzales’ lawyer, Nico LaHood, released this statement on the change of venue motion:
“This horrific tragedy touched every member of the Uvalde community. It would be impossible to gather a jury that would not view the evidence through their own pain and grief. We have asked the court to consider that reality and change the venue. The evil person responsible for stealing those precious lives is beyond the justice of man but has been judged. Adrian Gonzales is innocent of these allegations and a change of venue is necessary for justice to prevail.”
