A Houston-area dentist is facing criminal charges after huffing nitrous oxide “all day,” then leading cops on a half-mile car chase, which marked his third arrest since October on identical charges, according to court filings reviewed by The Independent.
Christopher Michael Pedlar, DDS, a 39-year-old married father of three who also teaches at the University of Texas School of Dentistry, was caught Saturday with 107 canisters of nitrous, a complaint filed in Harris County District Court states. Pedlar was clocked going 44 mph in a 30 mph zone, then refused to stop for police when they tried to pull him over, making “multiple turns” while “looking back in [his] mirror,” says the complaint.
Two of the nitrous canisters were “extremely cold,” with ice crystals formed on the exterior, suggesting recent use, according to the complaint.
When he finally gave himself up, Pedlar, who was then free on bond for possession of inhalant paraphernalia, “said he had a problem and admitted he had been inhaling all day,” the complaint goes on.
The Harris County Constable Precinct 1 announced Pedlar’s arrest on social media.
Defense attorney David Smith, who is representing Pedlar in court, told The Independent, “Due to the ongoing legal proceedings, we are unable to provide detailed comments on these allegations. Please afford our client the presumption of innocence that he, like anyone accused of an offense, is entitled to in America.”
“While a law enforcement agency has decided to release statements allegedly made by our client in this matter, we trust that the legal process will work and that the government’s case will be tried in a court of law and not in the media.”
Nitrous oxide, also known as “laughing gas,” is a mild sedative used in dentistry to manage patients’ pain and anxiety. Abuse can lead to seizures, brain damage, psychosis, and paralysis, and accidents involving drivers huffing nitrous have become increasingly common as the substance gains popularity with young people.
Pedlar was already out on bail following a November 27, 2024, incident in which a neighbor called police for a wellness check after spotting the 39-year-old parked on the side of the street in a white Chevy Suburban at 8 a.m., and, upon returning home at 6 p.m., saw that the vehicle “had not moved,” according to the complaint in that case. Ten hours later, it says, Pedlar was still “sitting in the driver’s seat, with his head down on his chest, not moving.”
During that encounter, Pedlar, who was holding a nitrous canister, refused to open the door or exit the SUV, but “repeatedly inhaled the canister’s contents” as officers stood by, watching “smoke-like vapors coming from [his] mouth when he exhaled,” the previous complaint states.
Police then placed Pedlar under arrest, seizing 112 nitrous canisters, according to the complaint.
“Once [Pedlar] exited the vehicle, he was sluggish and could not stand without assistance,” the complaint contends.
The pair of incidents came after Pedlar’s initial arrest on October 6, 2024, incident in which he was caught by police shortly before 2 a.m. inhaling nitrous in his truck, then “failing to listen to the officer's instructions to get out of the vehicle,” and “furthermore… refusing to give the officer his hands as instructed,” the complaint in that case alleges.
The October run-in with cops does not specify how many nitrous canisters he allegedly had in his possession at that time.
The latest complaint charging Pedlar with possession of nitrous oxide and fleeing a police officer, both misdemeanors, says he “continues to engage in conduct that results in his arrest for the same offense[,] and is posing a danger to the community” by driving after huffing.
In 2017, the Texas State Board of Dental Examiners sanctioned Pedlar and fined him $3,000 for engaging in “unprofessional and dishonorable conduct,” after he was “observed inhaling nitrous oxide through a nose mask.” He was ordered to complete a substance abuse treatment program, to undergo three hours of ethics training, and to submit to random drug testing.
Pedlar runs a family practice with his wife, who he met in dental school, according to a 2018 interview. The couple said they “take our time with each patient to really listen to their oral health goals and create a plan together.”
“We built our office with our patients’ comfort in mind,” the pair told VoyageHouston. “We want people to enjoy being in our office as much as possible.”
