Houston Police Department

December 22, 2005 -- An incident in which a reserve deputy from the Fort Bend County Sheriff's Office fired his weapon at a vehicle at 8601 West Bellfort about 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday (Dec. 21) will be referred to a Harris County grand jury.

Two of five robbery suspects were located and taken into custody. The reserve deputy, I.S. Molho, 47, was not injured.

HPD Homicide Division Officers K.P. Carr and A. Mares reported:

The suspects had taken a large amount of cash during an aggravated robbery at 8885 West Bellfort and then fled in a white, late model Chevrolet van about 4:15 p.m. on Wednesday. The victims got into their vehicle, a white Ford pickup truck, to chase the suspects and deliberately crashed into the suspects' vehicle in the 8800 block of West Bellfort. The accident caused the suspects' van to overturn. The suspects then jumped into a second vehicle, a brown Chevrolet pickup truck, and continued to drive on West Bellfort. The victims continued to follow that second vehicle and deliberately crashed into the second vehicle in the 8600 block of West Bellfort. That wreck caused the suspects' pickup truck to jump the sidewalk and strike a light pole in the parking lot of a fast food restaurant at 8601 West Bellfort. Five suspects in the pickup then fled on foot. One of the suspects, carrying a bag of money taken in the robbery, was being chased on foot by one of the victims.

Off-duty Reserve Deputy Molho saw the initial crash and, while in his Chevrolet Tahoe equipped with emergency lighting, he pursued the white Ford pickup (victims' vehicle). After the second crash occurred, Reserve Deputy Molho attempted to stop the white Ford pickup in the front parking lot of the fast food restaurant. The reserve deputy approached the pickup truck with his service weapon drawn, identified himself as a police officer and ordered the persons out of the truck. The passenger complied, but the driver reversed the vehicle twice, striking the deputy's vehicle both times. After the second strike of the vehicle, and fearing for his safety, the deputy fired his weapon three times at the Ford pickup. A bullet hit the left rear tire and the
driver got out of the truck.

The investigation into this incident and the robbery is continuing.

JFC/RMM 12-22-05
Inc #191968705

For additional information, please contact the HPD Public Affairs Division at 713-308-3200.