LUBBOCK, Texas — Witness testimony intensified in the trial of Lubbock murder defendant Hollis Daniels, 24, on Friday, highlighting moments surrounding the 2017 shooting death of Officer Floyd East.
At the start of his trial Monday, Daniels pleaded guilty but the case still went to a jury for punishment. The jury will decide between the death penalty and life in prison.
Testimony on Friday morning informed the jury of Daniels’ behavior on October 10, 2017, the day after murder.
Daniels made obscene comments to Cody Breshers, deputy with the Lubbock County Sheriff’s Office.
According to Breshers’ testimony in court, Daniels told him, “F*** the police. Lubbock Police is f***ed up, so is Texas Tech. P**** a** n****”
“I can see that s**t in your face. F*** y’all, f*** the police. Hey, f*** the police, hey f*** all y’all.”
Daniels’ disrespectful comments to officers also occurred the day of the murder. Video revealed him asking, “Do you have any family at home?”
“Yes,” East replied.
Next, Daniels’ shot him in the head and ran off with his body camera.
Salome Lopez LSO Detention Response Team also testified on Friday that the 24-year-old “made suicide by cop comments upon arrest.”
“Put it in my head,” Daniels said, spitting on an officer. “F*** the police. I know you want to shoot me.”
Daniels’ former friends gave their testimonies on Tuesday, recalling that Daniels, while on the influence of Xanax, would become aggressive, violent and forgetful.
Daniels was struggling and breathing heavily throughout a showing of footage from the shooting, but his defense said he did not recollect it now.
The trial was expected to continue into next week.
