Incident at 10500 Wolbrook

September 20, 2007 - Charges of aggravated assault of a public servant are pending against a suspect who ran over a Houston police officer in the 10500 block of Wolbrook about 2 a.m. today (Sept. 20).

The suspect, Rodney Dennis (b/m, DOB 9-6- 81), was arrested and found in possession of an automatic pistol and crack cocaine. Two other suspects, Nadia M. Johnson (b/f, DOB 12-25-88) and Paul Noel Prejean (b/m, DOB 12-25-87), were also arrested and face undetermined charges at this time.

The officer who was struck by suspect Dennis, Officer R.H. Medlin, suffered a severely sprained right wrist and numerous scratches to his right forearm after he was struck by and then thrown onto the suspects' vehicle. Officer Medlin was treated and released from
Memorial Hermann Hospital.

HPD Homicide Division Sergeant L.A. Flores and Officers R. Carstens and J. Coffelt reported:
Officers assigned to the Northeast Patrol Division Tactical Unit were driving an unmarked police vehicle and dressed in civilian clothes and marked raid / arrest vests as they patrolled the Fontaine Place neighborhood. While the officers were inside their vehicle, they were waved at and then approached by suspect Rodney Dennis, who offered to
sell them crack cocaine. The officers attempted to arrest Dennis, who went back to his vehicle and began to flee. When Officer Medlin got out of the officers' vehicle and stood in the front yard of a residence, suspect Dennis drove towards the officer. Officer Medlin attempted to move out of the way but was struck and thrown onto the vehicle. The
officer's partner, Officer R.G. Gardiner, fearing for the safety of officers on the scene, then fired his duty weapon at suspect Dennis as he (Dennis) was still in the driver's seat. Dennis was not struck, but did drive into a tree in the front yard of the residence. He was
then taken into custody. Officers found a weapon on Dennis' possession and a second weapon in the suspects' vehicle.

Officer Medlin was sworn in as an HPD officer in June of 2003 and Officer Gardiner in June of 2002.

As is customary in officer-involved shootings, the incident is being investigated by the HPD Homicide and Internal Affairs Divisions.

JFC/JGA 9-20-07
Inc #138627007

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