Lubbock Police Chief Greg Stevens on Thursday morning laid out a timeline of events concerning Monday night.
Texas Tech student Hollis Alvin Daniels, 19, of Seguin, was arrested and charged with capital murder. He was accused of shooting Texas Tech police officer Floyd East, Jr. on the campus.
Lubbock Police had contact with Daniels the day before.
“On Sunday, the day before, from what we understand a firearm was stolen and not reported until several hours later,” Stevens said. Stevens did not say if the stolen gun was the same one used to kill officer East.
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Lubbock Police were called to investigate the stolen gun.
“While in route, officers saw a vehicle matching the suspect description. He was pulled over and questioned,” Stevens said. “He did not give consent to search the vehicle.”
Stevens said there was not enough evidence to search without consent. There was also not enough evidence to make an arrest. Daniels was let go.
Stevens said on Monday, Texas Tech Police responded to a “check welfare” call. He said officer East and others arrested Daniels, and he was inside the tech police station being processed to be booked in the jail.
Stevens did not go deep into detail ln how Daniels had or laid hands on a gun while inside the police station.
“He was searched during his time in custody. But unfortunately he was able to gain access to a weapon,” Stevens said. Stevens acknowledged that he left many questions unanswered and said more answers would come later.
“We received the call of shots within two minutes,” Stevens said. He said the call came to LPD at 7:46 pm. “We had officers on campus at 7:49.”
“What I saw when I got on campus was an effort to make sure students and faculty were safe,” Stevens said.
“I want to say emphatically … we had a remarkable response,” Stevens said.
Questions had been raised because the Texas Tech Alert system notified students of an active shooter situation 20 minutes or more after the shots were fired.
LPD and other agencies came to campus. That included DPS troopers, Texas Rangers, sheriff’s deputies, LPD homicide investigators and the LPD SWAT team.
“He [Daniels] was first sighted at 9:08. He was taken into custody by a Texas Tech police officer at 9:26 pm. That’s a remarkable thing,” Stevens said.
Stevens said Tech Police will do their own administrative review. LPD will investigate the homicide.
East was 48. He left behind a wife and two daughters.
Daniels has been in the Lubbock County Detention Center since his arrest.
Related Story: Hollis Daniels Confessed to Killing Police Officer on Campus, According to Warrant
Lubbock Police released the following statement before noon Thursday:
On Monday, October 9th, at 1:11 a.m., Lubbock Police Officers responded to the 3400 block of 28th street regarding a disturbance surrounding a theft of a firearm.
At 1:18 a.m., a vehicle matching the description of the suspect vehicle was stopped at 19th and Elkhart. The driver of the vehicle, Hollis Daniels, was searched and a firearm was not located. Daniels denied having a firearm in his possession, and denied Lubbock Police officers request to search his vehicle. Officers did not have enough probable cause to search Daniels’ vehicle and Daniels was released.
At 7:44 p.m. on Monday, October 9th, Texas Tech Police Officer Floyd East Jr. was shot and killed. Texas Tech Police Dispatchers notified Lubbock Police Dispatchers at 7:46 p.m. The first Lubbock Police Unit was en route at 7:48:19 p.m. and was on Texas Tech campus at 7:49:50 p.m.
Once arriving on scene, Lubbock Police Officers, along with Lubbock Sheriff Deputies, FBI Agents, ATF agents, DPS Troopers, and Texas Rangers began working together to ensure the safety of Texas Tech students and faculty.
At 9:08 p.m., a credible sighting of Hollis Daniels was reported on Texas Tech campus. At 9:18 p.m., an additional sighting of Daniels was reported – and at 9:26 p.m., Hollis Daniels was taken into custody near the Lubbock Municipal Coliseum by a Texas Tech Police Officer.
Daniels is charged with Capital Murder, along with a federal charge of Possession of a stolen firearm.
The investigation into the death of officer East is ongoing.
