Charges have been filed against a suspect arrested in a shooting incident at 6810 Gulf Freeway (South Interstate Highway 45) service road about 10:20 a.m. on Wednesday (Nov. 24).
The suspect, Euless Robert Pettus (b/m, 47), is charged with aggravated assault of a peace officer and felony evading in a motor vehicle in the 178th State District Court. A booking photo of Pettus is attached to this news release.
Houston Police Officer J. Harper discharged her duty weapon in the incident. Officer Harper, assigned to the Clear Lake Patrol Division, was sworn in as an officer in May 2020.
HPD Special Investigations Unit Sergeant G. Rodgers and Officers S. Mohajer, E. Rossow, I. Ulloa and C. King reported:
A male parked his black Chrysler 300 directly in front of the business at the above address. The unknown male entered the store, went to the electrical section, and loaded a shopping cart with nine, 100-foot rolls of copper wire (precious metal) worth more than $900. The male walked past all points of entry without paying for the merchandise. Once outside the store, a loss prevention officer intercepted the suspect and attempted to detain him. While doing so, the loss prevention officer contacted an HPD officer who was off-duty and in full HPD uniform working at the business as extra employment.
The suspect then abandoned his stolen property and fled on foot to the black Chrysler 300. The suspect got into the driver’s seat of the vehicle as the loss prevention officer stood at the driver’s door. The HPD officer approached the front passenger door of the Chrysler and opened the door. Just as she did, the suspect reversed the vehicle causing the HPD officer to get stuck in the “V” of the vehicle and the opened front passenger door. This caused the officer to fall down. She was then dragged more than 50 feet until the suspect backed into another vehicle. The officer feared for her life as she was being dragged. The officer was able to un-holster her duty weapon and discharged it at the suspect to end the threat.
Once the Chrysler struck the other vehicle, the suspect put the vehicle in drive and fled the scene. HFD paramedics arrived and transported the officer to Memorial Hermann Southeast Hospital where she was treated for minor injuries and released later in the day. It was unknown at the time if the suspect was struck by gunfire.
After releasing surveillance photos of the suspect, further investigation led to the identity of the male as Euless Pettus. In the early morning hours on Thursday (Nov. 25), HPD officers received a tip and arrested Pettus in his vehicle in the 3500 block of Lydia Street. Officers observed Pettus with a gunshot wound to one of his legs (sustained in the Gulf Freeway incident). Paramedics transported Pettus to an area hospital where he was treated.
Euless Robert Pettus
JFC 11-26-21
Inc #157834421