A search warrant at the Lubbock County Courthouse revealed new information after a police officer was shot and killed on the campus of Texas Tech University.
The warrant said investigators wanted to electronically search the cell phone of Hollis Alvin Daniels, 19. Daniels was arrested on the night of October 9 less than two hours after officer Floyd East, Jr., 48, was shot and killed.
Lubbock Police were asked to help Texas Tech Police with the investigation.
LPD said before the shooting, Daniels was taken into custody by officer East and other Texas Tech police officers at Talkington Hall for drug possession.
The search warrant said, “Hollis [Daniels] was placed in handcuffs and transported to the Texas Tech Police Department for further investigation.”
LPD previously said Daniels was frisked before the shooting. It was still not clear as of Thursday how Daniels possessed a weapon while under arrest for drug possession.
LPD said while inside the TTU police station, Daniels was un-hancuffed, possibly to sign paperwork or some other reason. The search warrant said officer Tyler Snelson went to another room to attempt to identify the tablets and complete paperwork associated with the arrest.
The warrant said, “Officer Snelson heard what he believed to be a gunshot and immediately went to the briefing room.”
East was shot in the head. Daniels ran away. He was found and arrested again along the east side of the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum.
“After conducting a search of the area, a Springfield XD .45 caliber pistol was located in a drainage area of the Marsha Sharp Freeway,” the warrant said. “The firearm was hidden in a box with other refuse.”
The warrant also said, “The area where the firearm was located, was in an area that Hollis would have traveled while fleeing from the Texas Tech Police Department.”
“A computer check revealed that it was a stolen firearm from Lubbock, Texas reported on 10-08-2017.”
The search warrant said the ammunition with the gun matched a shell casing found with officer East’s body.
The warrant said, “A body-worn camera was located in two pieces on the north side of the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum. Officer East’s body worn camera was not on his person after he was found deceased.”
While Daniels was still on the run, he made it back into Talkington Hall. Another student let him in. But Daniels did not make it all the way to his room, and police officers were in the building at the time.
“Hollis [Daniels] ran to the hallway where his room was. [The other student] saw him run in the opposite direction as his room and then lost sight of him.”
Investigators believe Daniels called his mother after the shooting. Investigators believe there might be other evidence on his phone as well.
Daniels was indicted for possession of a stolen firearm two days after the shooting. However, police did not specifically say if the stolen firearm was the same one used to kill officer East. The search warrant is the first official confirmation that the stolen firearm was indeed the weapon used to kill East.
Daniels remained in the Lubbock County Detention Center Thursday in lieu of a $5 million bond. The full text of the affidavit in support of a search warrant is copied below:
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SEARCH WARRANT
On 10-9-2017, Texas Tech Police Officers Floyd East and Tyler Snelson and Lt. Mark Haney responded to Talkington Hall in reference to a call on 10-09-2017 where a report had been made of a gunshot being fired in room C, Talkington Hall and in reference to drugs being sold and used in Room C. The officers eventually spoke to Hollis and located a quantity suspected Xanax and another quantity of unknown tablets. Hollis was placed in handcuffs and transported to the Texas Tech Police Department for further investigation and to confirm the identity of the suspected bottle of Xanax.
While at the Texas Tech Police Department, Officer Snelson went to another room to attempt to identify the tablets and complete paperwork associated with the arrest, while Officer East sat with Hollis in the briefing room. Officer Snelson heard what he believed to be a gunshot and immediately went to the briefing room. Officer Snelson located Officer East with what appeared to be a fatal gunshot wound to the head and believed him to be deceased. Officer Snelson could not locate Hollis in the building and started a search of the area. Officers from the Lubbock Police Department, Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office, Texas Department of Public Safety, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives responded to the area to assist Texas Tech Police with the search for the armed suspect. Approximately 90 minutes later, the suspect was located on the east side of the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum and placed under arrest. After conducting a search of the area, a Springfield XD .45 caliber pistol was located in a drainage area of the Marsha Sharp Freeway. The firearm was hidden in a box with other refuse. The area where the firearm was located, was in an area that Hollis would have traveled while fleeing from the Texas Tech Police Department. A body worn camera was located in two pieces on the north side of the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum. Officer East’s body worn camera was not on his person after he was found deceased. The pieces of the body camera located are believed to be Officer East’s camera. Lubbock Police Department Detective Fish ran the serial number of the firearm located and a computer check revealed that it was a stolen firearm from Lubbock, Texas reported on 10-08-2017. The ammunition located in the gun had the same markings, “RP .45 AUTO” on the casing located at the Texas Tech Police Department near where Officer East’s body was located.
Statements obtained from roommates of Hollis, advised that he was constantly smoking marijuana and using Xanax and had observed times that they believe Hollis was selling marijuana to other individuals.
Annabela Dante provided a witness statement to the Lubbock Police Department on 10-09-2017. She stated that Hollis had pounded on the door to Talkington Hall and she opened it for him. She stated that Hollis was wearing a blue and white shirt, which is believed to be the same shirt he was wearing when arrested. She stated that Hollis ran to the hallway where his room was. She saw him run in the opposite direction as his room and then lost sight of him. She saw him again a few moments later and he was wearing a white “wife beater” shirt and carrying the blue and white shirt. That was the last time she had seen him in the dorm.
During Detective Bonds’ interview of Daniels after his arrest, he stated that he had called his mom on his cell phone after the murder of Officer East. Daniels was found to be in possession of the listed cell phone at the time of his arrest and asked Lubbock Police Officer Gruner on several occasions if he could have it.
Affiant knows through training and experience that cellular telephones will usually have a log of dialed and received phone numbers as well as stored names and numbers.
Affiant knows through training and experience that photographic images taken on cellular telephones can be stored in the telephones memory and retained for future viewing.
Affiant knows through training and experience that criminals often take photographs of co-conspirators as well as illicit drugs and currency derived from the sale of the illicit drugs.
Affiant knows through training and experience that cellular telephones can send and receive text messages and that text messages can be stored in the telephones memory.