Floyd East Jr., Married Father of 2, Identified as Officer Slain by Texas Tech Student Hollis Daniels
The Texas Tech police officer shot dead by 19-year-old freshman Hollis Daniels in Lubbock Monday night has been identified as 48-year-old Floyd East Jr., a married father of two who had only been working at the campus location just over five months.
Tech Police Chief Kyle Bonath told KSAT that East was hired by the university in 2014 and was working at the school's El Paso campus until he was transferred to the Lubbock campus on May 1, 2017. East leaves behind 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."
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A Dallas Morning News report said, officers were told that Daniels might have a weapon.
The student was apprehended without incident and taken to the campus police station on a drug charge without handcuffs. An arrest warrant said Daniels was standing near an officer in the department's briefing room while he completed paperwork to arrest the student. Another officer reported leaving the room then hearing a bang. He returned to the room and found East fatally shot in the head while Daniels and the officer's body camera were missing.