Upon the opening of his trial on Monday morning, 24-year-old Hollis Daniels pleaded guilty to Capital Murder.
He confessed to the October 2017 shooting death of Texas Tech University police officer Floyd East Jr. In front of a judge in open court, Daniels said “I plead guilty because I’m responsible.”
No matter what, the trial will go on. Lubbock County’s criminal district attorney is pursuing capital punishment. Because of this, the jury will have to hear testimony and review evidence before reaching a judgment on whether or not to impose the death penalty.
Daniels’ defense argued:
“The young man seated in front of you is not the 19-year-old youngster that shot officer East.”
“To this day, he has no independent recollection of the shooting.”
On the evening of October 9, 2017, East placed Daniels under arrest for alleged possession of a controlled drug.
View some of our previous articles about trials that may be of interest to you:
- Aiden Fucci on Trial in Florida: Pleads Guilty in 13-year-old Tristyn Bailey’s Murder.
- A Judge In Maryland Drops Murder Charges Against The Mother Of Two Missing Children Because He Thinks She Is Still Too Crazy To Stand Trial.
Daniels was released from his handcuffs long enough to sign paperwork once he was inside the Texas Tech Police Department building.
Daniels was carrying a gun that he had stolen just days before his capture. After shooting and killing East, he quickly fled. Just over two hours later, he was apprehended.
Prosecutors argued that “the defendant [Daniels] takes out the gun and shoots officer East point blank” and that “Officer East lived out his oath to protect and serve” in their opening statements.
Court documents say that while Daniels was being held at the Lubbock County Detention Center, he bragged about what he had done. In this ongoing trial, we will be posting updates as new witnesses are presented.
