The suspect wanted in the stabbing death of former NASCAR driver Bobby East was killed in a police involved shooting in California Friday night.
Trent William Milsap, 27, was wanted for the murder of East that occurred Wednesday night at a gas station in in Orange County California. East, 37, was filling up his vehicle when Milsap, listed as homeless attacked and stabbed East. Officers arrived on scene and administered first aid until paramedics arrived and rushed East to a trauma center where he died.
Westminster (Calif.) police received information Friday that Millsap was in an apartment in the 3300 block of Lincoln Avenue in Anaheim, said Commander Kevin MacCormick of the WPD.
A SWAT team was sent to the location and during the service of a search warrant, a shooting involving police and the suspect occurred, leaving a police dog with a single gunshot wound, which was considered non-life-threatening, MacCormick said. Milsap was killed during the exchange.
“During the service of the search warrant, an officer involved shooting took place,” the police department said Friday. “No officers were injured; however, a police K-9 sustained a single gunshot wound that was not life threatening. The Westminster Police Department, along with members of the Orange County District Attorney’s office are currently investigating the shooting.”
East, a native of Torrence, California, was a three-time United States Auto Club (USAC) National Champion driver in USAC Silver Crown and Midgets and raced in NASCAR’s Truck series.
USA released a statement shortly after East’s death:
“Bobby was an immediate success in his USAC career. His first career triumph with the USAC National Midgets in 2001 at Schererville, Indiana’s Illiana Motor Speedway made Bobby the youngest USAC national feature winner ever at the time, at the age of 16. His three winning performances in 2001 made him the winningest USAC National Midget Rookie in more than a quarter century. Ultimately, he was rewarded as the series’ Rookie of the Year.”
Greg is the author of "The Nuts and Bolts of NASCAR: The Definitive Viewers' Guide to Big-Time Stock Car Auto Racing" and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, a Masters degree in psychology and is currently a PhD candidate majoring in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek.