Stupid people of the week

Short skirts and big blocks

Texas dentist caught huffing while driving with more than 100 canisters of laughing gas in his car, cops say

A Houston-area dentist is facing criminal charges after huffing nitrous oxide “all day,” then leading cops on a half-mile car chase, which marked his third arrest since October on identical charges, according to court filings reviewed by The Independent.

Christopher Michael Pedlar, DDS, a 39-year-old married father of three who also teaches at the University of Texas School of Dentistry, was caught Saturday with 107 canisters of nitrous, a complaint filed in Harris County District Court states. Pedlar was clocked going 44 mph in a 30 mph zone, then refused to stop for police when they tried to pull him over, making “multiple turns” while “looking back in [his] mirror,” says the complaint.

Two of the nitrous canisters were “extremely cold,” with ice crystals formed on the exterior, suggesting recent use, according to the complaint.

When he finally gave himself up, Pedlar, who was then free on bond for possession of inhalant paraphernalia, “said he had a problem and admitted he had been inhaling all day,” the complaint goes on.

The Harris County Constable Precinct 1 announced Pedlar’s arrest on social media.

Defense attorney David Smith, who is representing Pedlar in court, told The Independent, “Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to provide detailed comments on these allegations. Please afford our client the presumption of innocence that he, like anyone accused of an offense, is entitled to in America.”

“While a law enforcement agency has decided to release statements allegedly made by our client in this matter, we trust that the legal process will work and that the government’s case will be tried in a court of law and not in the media.”

Nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas,” is a mild sedative used in dentistry to manage patients’ pain and anxiety. Abuse can lead to seizures, brain damage, psychosis, and paralysis, and accidents involving drivers huffing nitrous have become increasingly common as the substance gains popularity with young people.

Pedlar was already out on bail following a November 27, 2024, incident in which a neighbor called police for a wellness check after spotting the 39-year-old parked on the side of the street in a white Chevy Suburban at 8 a.m., and, upon returning home at 6 p.m., saw that the vehicle “had not moved,” according to the complaint in that case. Ten hours later, it says, Pedlar was still “sitting in the driver’s seat, with his head down on his chest, not moving.”

During that encounter, Pedlar, who was holding a nitrous canister, refused to open the door or exit the SUV, but “repeatedly inhaled the canister’s contents” as officers stood by, watching “smoke-like vapors coming from [his] mouth when he exhaled,” the previous complaint states.

Police then placed Pedlar under arrest, seizing 112 nitrous canisters, according to the complaint.

“Once [Pedlar] exited the vehicle, he was sluggish and could not stand without assistance,” the complaint contends.

The pair of incidents came after Pedlar’s initial arrest on October 6, 2024, incident in which he was caught by police shortly before 2 a.m. inhaling nitrous in his truck, then “failing to listen to the officer’s instructions to get out of the vehicle,” and “furthermore… refusing to give the officer his hands as instructed,” the complaint in that case alleges.

The October run-in with cops does not specify how many nitrous canisters he allegedly had in his possession at that time.

The latest complaint charging Pedlar with possession of nitrous oxide and fleeing a police officer, both misdemeanors, says he “continues to engage in conduct that results in his arrest for the same offense[,] and is posing a danger to the community” by driving after huffing.

In 2017, the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners sanctioned Pedlar and fined him $3,000 for engaging in “unprofessional and dishonorable conduct,” after he was “observed inhaling nitrous oxide through a nose mask.” He was ordered to complete a substance abuse treatment program, to undergo three hours of ethics training, and to submit to random drug testing.

Pedlar runs a family practice with his wife, who he met in dental school, according to a 2018 interview. The couple said they “take our time with each patient to really listen to their oral health goals and create a plan together.”

“We built our office with our patients’ comfort in mind,” the pair told VoyageHouston. “We want people to enjoy being in our office as much as possible.”

Source; The Independent

Powell Resident Shoots At Hawk With Fireworks

When Powell Police Department officers responded Saturday to what was initially reported as an active shooter situation, they discovered it was a person firing a roman candle at a nefarious hawk.

And at some point, one of the responding officers accidentally discharged a weapon into the ground.

The “shots fired” call came in about six minutes after noon Saturday from a home in the area of 868 East North St. in Powell, says a Saturday statement by the Powell Police Department.

Initial reports also indicated the scene involved “active shooter,” Powell Police Chief Jim Rhea told Cowboy State Daily in a Monday interview.

Two Powell officers responded, plus another two who’d been on other calls in town. Besides those four, officers from other agencies in the area came to help, but no help was needed, said Rhea.

“It’s important to understand this was determined to not be an active shooter situation extremely quickly,” he said. “It’s getting blown out of proportion to say the least.”

They learned on scene that a resident had used a roman candle to “ward off a nefarious hawk,” the statement says. The hawk had been attacking the homeowner’s pets and home, the statement adds.

Rhea said he wasn’t sure what kind of animals were in peril. He also wasn’t sure whether the resident hit the hawk.

“Once the scene was secure, it was discovered that an officer accidentally discharged their weapon into the ground,” says the statement, adding that no one was injured.

Rhea said the officer’s action is “being handled internally.”

The police department concluded its statement by cautioning homeowners not to engage predatory wildlife.

“Please reach out to the Powell Police Department if you observe or have concerns about predatory animals around your homes or businesses,” says the statement.

The homeowner at the address listed did not respond to a phone message at his listed phone number, nor a message on social media by publication time.

Source; Cowboy State Daily

Men accused of attempting to use a cannon to launch meth and tobacco into prison

Two men were arrested after attempting to use a cannon to sneak meth and tobacco into a federal prison.

According to authorities, 18-year-old Jose Francisco Herrera Munoz and 19-year-old Angel Gonzales Gutierrez are facing charges of attempting to introduce contraband into a penal institution and attempting to distribute methamphetamine.

The Grant Parish Sheriff’s Office said an investigation led deputies to learn the suspects planned to use a cannon to launch $112,000 worth of tobacco and $89,500 worth of meth into a federal prison.

Deputies said the cannon, which could shoot items 350 feet into the air, would launch the items over the federal prison’s security fence and onto prison grounds.

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement also assisted in the investigation and detained Munoz who was reportedly in the U.S. illegally.

Source; WKYT

Category: "Teh Stoopid", Crime, Police, Stupid Criminals