The Running Man: Crockett PD Chases Down Assault Suspect
By Cody Thompson
Messenger Reporter
CROCKETT – A man, wanted for burglary and assault charge from December, was arrested after leading officers of the Houston County Sheriff’s Office and Crockett Police Department on an on-foot chase near a local park on Tuesday, March 21.
Brodrick Gerome Hollman, 25, of Crockett, was charged with burglary of a building, assault causing bodily harm and evading arrest.
HCSO deputy D. Murray observed Hollman, a known wanted person, standing in the Lt. Williams Park (also known as Prince Hall Park), an affidavit of probable cause said.
Murray parked his patrol unit behind an apartment complex and proceeded on foot, walking north on Martin Luther King Boulevard.
At the same time, HCSO investigator Larenzo Simpson was driving an unmarked unit on W.M. Batts Street, located north of the park, and CPD officer McClain and Corporal Rodriquez were in a two-man unit travelling on Sycamore Street, east of the park, the affidavit said.
Murray got a visual on Hollman as he was walking away to the northwest, away from Murray. He then called out to stop Hollman, the affidavit said.
“(Hollman) then turned around and, as he observed me in (my) Crockett Police Department uniform, he turned (back) around and began running full speed towards the southeast,” the probable cause document said. “I radioed for officers McClain and Rodriguez and told them he was coming their way.”
Hollman then noticed the CPD unit that McClain and Rodriguez were in and changed course again.
“I (Murray) kept a visual on the defendant (Hollman) as he made eye contact with a marked patrol car that McClain and Rodriguez were in and turned back around towards my direction,” the affidavit said.
Hollman then turned and headed west and, after noticing Murray, cut to the south, jumped a creek bed and fell down, according to the affidavit.
“(Hollman) got back up and continued to run between residences to the south,” the probable cause document said. “After seeing me (Murray) again, he cut back to the south east, running through yards on Amanda Street”
Murray continued his pursuit, running down MLK Street, to the west of Hollman.
“The defendant next ran west, back towards my location, between two more residences, where I (Murray) told him to stop and put his hands up,” the affidavit said. “He stopped and propped up on the hood of a parked pick-up truck.”
Hollman was then booked into custody and transported to the Houston County Jail.
Hollman had two outstanding warrants for burglary and assault against his girlfriend.
After an altercation in December, Hollman’s girlfriend told him to leave the residence. Hollman left, then returned approximately an hour later and re-entered through the bedroom window, an affidavit of probable cause said.
Once inside, Hollman proceeded to drag his girlfriend outside by her hair, where she was then beaten, the affidavit said.
The burglary of a building charge is considered a second degree felony.
According to Section 12.33 of the Texas Penal Code, “An individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree shall be punished by imprisonment in the institutional division for any term of not more than 20 years or less than two years. In addition to imprisonment, an individual adjudged guilty of a felony of the second degree may be punished by a fine not to exceed $10,000.”
The assault causing bodily harm and evading arrest charges are both considered class A misdemeanors.
According to Section 12.21 of the Texas Penal Code,“An individual adjudged guilty of a Class A misdemeanor shall be punished by a fine not to exceed $4,000;confinement in jail for a term not to exceed one year; or both such fine and confinement.”
Cody Thompson may be reached via e-mail at [email protected].
