Slain Texas Tech police officer: What we know about Floyd East Jr.

LUBBOCK, Texas – The Texas Tech police officer who was shot and killed Monday night in Lubbock was 48-year-old Floyd East Jr., of El Paso, Texas. 

Tech Police Chief Kyle Bonath said East was hired in 2014 and was working at the university's El Paso campus until transferring to the Lubbock campus on May 1, 2017, only months before he was fatally shot. 

Bonath said East is survived by his wife Carmen and two daughters, Anna and Monica 

“The events last night began when TTPD received information about a student acting erratically who was reported to be in possession of a weapon,” Bonath said. “Officers responded to the dorm to conduct a welfare check and during the welfare check, noticed paraphernalia present in the dorm.”

Bonath said officers identified the student as 19-year-old Hollis Alvin Daniels and placed him under arrest after finding him in possession of drug paraphernalia.

Daniels was shortly transported to the Texas Tech Police Department.

“During this time, the student pulled a gun and fatally shot Officer East,” Bonath said. “The student fled the scene and the university was placed in lockdown status and a Tech alert was issued.”

During the time of lockdown, Bonath said Daniels’ family called the school’s counseling center to advise TTPD, expressing “concern that the student might be in possession of a weapon and making comments about suicide.” 

According to authorities, officers in a parking lot adjacent to the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum found Daniels and tackled him. 

Police also found East's body camera and a loaded .45-caliber pistol in the area where Daniels was captured.

Daniels told officers who arrested him that "he was the one who shot their friend," the capital murder warrant said.

Daniels also told police that he did something "[explitive] up," and "something illogical."

Daniels is being held on a $5 million bond, charged with capital murder. Online records do not list an attorney. 

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