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A former Uvalde police officer was acquitted Wednesday of charges that he failed in his duties to confront the gunman at Robb Elementary during the critical first minutes of one of the deadliest school shootings in U.S. history. Jurors deliberated for more than seven hours before finding Adrian Gonzales, 52, not guilty in the first trial over the hesitant law enforcement response to the 2022 attack, in which a teenage gunman killed 19 fourth-graders and two teachers. Had he been convicted, he faced up two years in prison on more than two dozen charges of child abandonment and endangerment. Gonzales appeared to fight back tears and hugged his lawyers after the verdict was read in a courtroom in Corpus Christi, hundreds of miles from Uvalde, where his legal team said a fair trial would not have been possible. “Thank you for the jury for considering all the evidence,” Gonzales told reporters. Asked if he wanted to say anything to the families, he declined. Several family members of the victims sat in silence in the courtroom, some crying or wiping away tears. “Faith is fractured, but you never lose faith,” said Jesse Rizo, whose 9-year-old niece Jackie Cazares was killed. He said he was frustrated by the verdict and hopes the state will press ahead with the trial of former Uvalde schools Police Chief Pete Arredondo, the only other officer who has been charged over the police response. “Those children in the cemetery can’t speak for themselves,” Rizo said. Jurors declined to speak to reporters while leaving. Arredondo’s trial has not yet been set. Paul Looney, his attorney, told The Associated Press that he believes the verdict will result in prosecutors dropping the case against his client. “These people have been vilified, and it’s horrible what’s been done to them. These guys didn’t do anything wrong,” Looney said. A rare trial ends in acquittal The nearly three-week trial was an unusual case in the U.S. of an officer facing criminal charges on accusations of failing to stop a crime and protect lives. The proceedings included emotional testimony from teachers who were shot and survived. Prosecutors argued that Gonzales abandoned his training and did nothing to stop or interrupt the teenage gunman before he entered the school. “We’re expected to act differently when talking about a child that can’t defend themselves,” special prosecutor Bill Turner said during closing arguments Wednesday. “If you have a duty to act, you can’t stand by while a child is in imminent danger.” At least 370 law enforcement officers rushed to the school, where 77 minutes passed before a tactical team finally entered the classroom to confront and kill the gunman. Gonzales was one of just two officers indicted, angering some victim’s relatives who said they wanted more to be held accountable. Gonzales was charged with 29 counts of child abandonment and endangerment — each count representing the 19 students who were killed and 10 others who were injured. Jurors talked about ‘gaps’ in case, lawyer says During the trial jurors heard a medical examiner describe the fatal wounds to the children, some of whom were shot more than a dozen times. Several parents told of sending their children to school for an awards ceremony and the panic that ensued as the attack unfolded. Gonzales’ lawyers said he arrived upon a chaotic scene of rifle shots echoing on school grounds and never saw the gunman before the attacker went inside the school. They also insisted that three other officers who arrived seconds later had a better chance to stop the gunman. “He was the lowest man on the totem pole. They thought he was easy pickings,” Nico LaHood, one of Gonzales’ attorneys, said of prosecutors after the acquittal. Uvalde School Shooting Aug 12, 2025 ‘My kids are in there, bro … please.' Uvalde releases video, records of slow police response Uvalde School Shooting Jun 27, 2024 Former Uvalde school district police chief charged with child endangerment after…

The Chicago Bears thrilled the city in coach Ben Johnson’s first season. They pulled out one comeback win after another on their way to capturing the NFC North championship after finishing last in the division. They advanced in the playoffs for the first time in 15 years by rallying to beat Green Bay in a wild-card game before losing an overtime thriller to Matthew Stafford and the Los Angeles Rams in the divisional round. Now, it’s time to start building on everything they accomplished. Then again, maybe building isn’t the right word. “There is no building off of this,” Johnson said on Wednesday. “We go back to square one. We’re back at the bottom again. That’s really all 32 teams. If you feel otherwise, you’re probably missing the big picture.” The Bears are obviously starting from a stronger position, with Caleb Williams on his way to becoming a franchise quarterback after setting the team’s single-season passing record in his second year and Johnson looking like the coach to lead him to that next level. It’s a big change from last January, when the team was reeling after finishing 5-12 and firing former coach Matt Eberflus along the way. Now, for the first time since he was hired in 2022, general manager Ryan Poles heads into the offseason with a contender rather than a rebuilding project. “You just have more constraints,” he said. “At the same time, I don’t think the process changes. You’re gonna identify the guys that fit what we want in our football team, which coach hit, and you just keep trying to acquire those players. We know what they look like, we know how they act, we know how they talk, and we’ll continue to do that.” Poles had a big offseason a year ago. He transformed a struggling offensive line by trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson and signing center Drew Dalman. He also drafted Ozzy Trapilo in the second round. The Boston College product emerged as the starting left tackle, only to tear the patellar tendon in his left knee in the wild-card game against Green Bay. Poles didn’t have a specific timeline for his return, though he figures to be out long term after having surgery. “I’m sure it’ll be deep into next (season), with the injury,” Poles said. “So, we’ve had a conversation with him. He knows this is part of his journey that he has to overcome. I have a lot of faith in him and our staff to get him back ready to go whenever that is.” Trapilo was one of four major contributors drafted by Poles this past year. The Bears also hit big with tight end Colston Loveland in the first round, receiver Luther Burden in the second and running back Kyle Monangai in the seventh. Loveland, the No. 10 pick out of Michigan, led Chicago in receptions (58) and yards (713) and tied for the team lead in touchdown catches (six). The speedy and elusive Burden had 652 yards receiving. And the hard-running Monangai rushed for 783 yards as part of a productive tandem with D’Andre Swift. The Bears have some decisions to make at safety with All-Pro Kevin Byard and Jaquan Brisker set to become free agents. The 32-year-old Byard, who led the league with seven interceptions, said this week he’d like to return. And Poles would like to have him back. “I have no problem saying that’s a player that we would like to have back,” Poles said. “But, again, when you add the other safeties into that mix and all the other decisions we have across the roster, with cap restraints and things like that, it’ll be a challenge. But that’s part of what we do.” Poles also acknowledged a need to improve the line on a defense that ranked 29th overall and 27th against the run. Chicago tied for 22nd in sacks with 35. But the Bears appear to have the two most important pieces in place — the coach and the quarterback. “I’m really encouraged about the steps he took this year,” Johnson said. “I’m Caleb Williams’ No. 1 believer. I have a lot of faith in him and what…

Everyone has something different on their snack table at home. For my parents it’s the nostalgic Yick Lung Nibb-its or wonton chips from Maebo Noodle Factory. For a coworker, it’s fresh fruit from the local...

Le réseau TEC annonce une semaine d'actions de grève, du 26 au 30 janvier. Elle coïncide avec d'autres actions annoncée par la SNCB. The post Un semaine de grève annoncée sur le réseau du TEC dès lundi appeared first on Le Vif.