Fort Bliss soldier who saved children during El Paso shooting arrested for desertion

An Army soldier who was hailed as a hero on social media after a mass shooting in El Paso, Texas, has been arrested on desertion allegations.

Task and Purpose reported Friday that Pfc. Glendon Oakley Jr. was arrested Thursday in Harker Heights, Texas, with local NBC affiliate KCEN reporting that a military police detail was dispatched to take him back to Fort Bliss.

{mosads}”Pfc. Oakley was absent without leave and was apprehended pursuant to a military administrative warrant,” Army Master Sgt. Vin Stevens told Task and Purpose. “Pfc. Oakley is in police custody pending return to Ft Bliss where the chain of command is prepared to receive the Soldier and address the issue according to applicable laws, regulation, and the Uniform Code of Military Justice.”

Oakley was celebrated on social media and awarded an Army Commendation Medal for his conduct during the shooting after saying in an interview he had helped children escape during the shooting, though according to Task and Purpose, police later said they could not verify his account.