The Uvalde cop who was caught on video nonchalantly using hand sanitizer inside the Robb Elementary School as children were dying in a nearby classroom has been identified.
Sheriff’s Deputy Eric Gonzales — who faced intense backlash for the bizarrely timed act — was IDed by the Daily Mail as a one-time recipient of a medal of valor for “bravery in the line of duty.”
The 30-year-old cop, who was wearing a helmet and bulletproof vest, casually pumped the hand sanitizer wall unit to clean his hands as officers milled around the hallway for more than an hour before taking out the shooter, the footage first obtained by the Austin-American Statesman showed.
Viewers of the 77-minute clip were outraged by the officers’ retreat and hour of inaction as 18-year-old gunman Salvador Ramos slaughtered 19 children and two teachers.
Social media users found Gonzales’ act particularly off-putting.