Following a two-day search for the suspect, a California SWAT squad shot and killed the man on Friday who is thought to have fatally stabbed Bobby East, a champion NASCAR and US Auto Club driver.
A suspect wanted by Westminster police on suspicion of fatally stabbing a former NASCAR driver at a gas station was shot and killed by at least one officer at an Anaheim apartment complex while a SWAT team attempted to execute search and arrest warrants on Friday night, July 15.
On Wednesday last week, East got into a fight with a local homeless man who was later identified as Trent William Millsap while filling up his car at a gas station in Westminster, California. Then, according to authorities, Millsap stabbed East because he had an active warrant for his arrest.
According to Westminster police Deputy Chief Cameron Knauerhaze on Saturday, the suspect, 27-year-old Trent William Millsap, passed away at the UCI Medical Center.
Millsap lived in an apartment on Anaheim’s 3300 block of Lincoln Avenue, according to information obtained by Westminster investigators. According to Westminster police Cmdr. Kevin MacCormick, the West County SWAT Team was dispatched to serve the warrants on Friday night due to “the amount of aggressiveness (Millsap) had been demonstrating.”
A K-9 was deployed at one point, and at least one cop fired, according to MacCormick. The cause of the shooting is still being looked into, as well as whether any firearms were discovered close to Millsap, according to Knauerhaze.
The Orange County District Attorney’s office spokeswoman, Kimberly Edds, announced that the State Attorney General’s office will be in charge of the shooting inquiry because it was thought Millsap was unarmed.
Despite being injured by a gunshot, the police dog’s injury was not life-threatening, according to MacCormick. No police officers were hurt. As of Saturday afternoon, the dog was with its handler at home after being released from a veterinary facility.
Just before 6 o’clock on Wednesday, a fatal stabbing happened at a 76 gas station at 6322 Westminster Boulevard. Millsap had been named by Westminster police as the suspect in that incident.
Robert John East, 37, was named as the victim by coroner’s officials on Saturday. He resided in San Dimas, according to Westminster police. He had a critical chest stab wound when he was discovered, and he passed away in the hospital.
“The victim was found on the ground suffering from a serious stab wound to the chest area,” read a Westminster police statement from the day of the stabbing. “Officers attempted life saving measures until OCFA paramedics arrived and transported the victim to a local trauma center, where the victim succumbed to his injury.”
East was a former professional racecar racer and a three-time United States Auto Club National Champion in the Silver Crown and Midget classes. From 2005 to 2008, he competed in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series for 31 starts and the NASCAR Xfinity Series for 11 starts, where he finished in the top 10 twice.
