(Lubbock) — A $1 million lawsuit has been filed against a former Texas Tech student from Seguin, who faces a capital murder charge for allegedly killing a campus police officer exactly two years ago.
According to the Lubbock Avalanche-Journal, the wife of slain Tech Texas police officer, Carmen East, accuses Hollis “Reid” Alvin Daniels III of negligence and gross negligence in the Oct. 9, 2017, shooting death of Floyd East Jr.
Mrs. East is seeking damages that “include funeral expenses, mental anguish, loss of advice and counsel and loss of companionship.” The lawsuit states, “the plaintiff would show that on October 9, 2017, Defendant Hollis Alvin Daniels III acted in a negligent and grossly negligent manner by failing to act as an ordinary reasonable person and acting with disregard towards human life.”
Daniels, who remains in the Lubbock County Detention Center, reportedly shot and killed East with a .45 caliber handgun. A police report states that Daniels was taken to the police station after drugs were found in his room, but he was not handcuffed. It stated that East was working on booking paperwork for Daniels. Another officer in the room said he walked out, and shortly thereafter, he heard a loud bang. He returned and found that East had been shot. The officer’s body camera was said to be missing, and his pistol was still in his holster. Police investigators believe Daniels stole the gun from a friend’s home.
Officer East was relatively new to the department when the incident happened. Before coming to Lubbock, East served in the Texas State Guard in El Paso. He left behind not only his wife but also two daughters.
Daniels, who at the time was a freshman student, faces a criminal charge of capital murder. Punishment for the crime includes life in prison without parole or the death sentence.
The 21-year-old remains behind bars on a $5 million bond. According to the newspaper, Matt Powell, the former Lubbock County Criminal District Attorney who retired last year, will be representing East in the lawsuit. Reporters say a news conference is slated for sometime today at his office in Lubbock.