Harris County deputy arrested, cold white claw can be found in car after crash

HOUSTON – A Harris County deputy found himself in handcuffs after he was caught driving under the influence and with a cold can of White Claw in his car.

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According to court documents, Dennis Palmer II, 48, a peace officer with the Harris County Sheriff's Office, crashed into a fence in April 2024. Responding officers said Palmer crashed against a fence on Sharp Rd. in western Harris County as two cars followed him.

While speaking with Palmer, the arresting officer noted in the affidavit that he smelled of alcohol and found a can of White Claw that was “cold to the touch.” However, Palmer claimed he drank this White Claw “4 days before the accident” but admitted “he took Adderall and Gabapentin.”

After speaking to a witness, the officer noted in arrest documents that Palmer was actually the one following him before following another car. Basically, he told the officer that Palmer started following him but “didn’t know why.” After pulling into a parking lot, Palmer got out of his car, the witness said, and began “yelling at him that he was a cop and getting on the ground.”

Palmer left shortly afterward, according to court records, and he began following another vehicle, but did not see the road turn in front of him and crashed his car into a fence. While denying drinking, Palmer told the officer the reason he was following the first vehicle was because the driver had hit his vehicle.

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However, the only damage to Palmer's car was from when he crashed into a fence, the officer noted in the affidavit. A toxicology report and a failed sobriety test also corroborated what the officer suspected and what the witness told him.

He now faces a misdemeanor DWI charge, but has since posted bond.