Houston cop 'lied about drug dealing so officers could storm home' sparking a shootout which left a couple dead and five officers wounded
Published: 15:53 EST, 15 February 2019 | Updated: 23:27 EST, 15 February 2019
The Houston officer who led a deadly raid in which a couple were killed and five cops were injured lied to get a search warrant, according to the city's police chief.
Lead investigator Gerald Goines alleged an informant bought heroin at the house of Dennis Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58, the day before the January 28 raid. The informant had also allegedly seen a handgun in the home.
But according to an affidavit filed as part of the ongoing investigation into the raid and made public Friday, the informant told investigators he or she had not bought any drugs at the home and had not been involved in any work leading up to the raid.
After the raid, police said they found several firearms at the home, along with marijuana and cocaine but no heroin. The heroin allegedly bought at the home had been obtained elsewhere, according to the affidavit.
The informant had allegedly been working with the lead investigator in the case, who was identified in the affidavit as Officer Gerald Goines. He now faces criminal charges.
Rhogena Nicholas, 58, and Dennis Tuttle, 59, were killed during a shootout with officers who were serving a search warrant at an alleged 'drug house' in southeast Houston
In the search warrant that was used to justify entering their home, officers with the Houston Police Department's narcotics unit had alleged that a confidential informant had bought heroin at the house the day before the raid
Investigators spoke with informants who had previously worked with Goines and all said they had not bought drugs at the home of Nicholas, pictured, according to the affidavit
The heroin allegedly bought at the home, pictured, was obtained elsewhere, the affidavit says
Goines prepared the search warrant and has been with the police department for more than 30 years, according to investigators.
They also spoke with several other informants who had previously worked with Goines and all said they had not bought drugs at the home, according to the affidavit.
Goines was one of the four officers who were shot in the gunfight. A fifth officer injured his knee during the shooting.
Acevedo said: 'When we prepare a document to go into somebody's home it has to be truthful, it has to be honest, it has to be absolutely factual. So, we know already there's a crime that's been committed. A high probability there will be a criminal charge.'
Acevedo said his department's investigation has yet to determine what charges Goines could face.
Goines, who remains hospitalized, could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. The president of the Houston Police Officers' Union did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In the hours after the raid, Acevedo had praised Goines as being 'tough as nails'.
The police chief had said officers announced themselves as Houston Police before entering, and as they opened the front door they immediately came under fire from either one or two suspects, and one officer was attacked by a pit bull.
But speaking Friday Acevedo said Goines has now been suspended. Another officer involved in the drug raid had previously been suspended.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said a lead investigator lied in a warrant justifying a drug raid on a Houston home in which two residents were killed and four officers were injured
Police are can be seen responding to reports of the shooting at what authorities had described as a 'drug house' on Harding Street in southeast Houston
Officers announced themselves as Houston Police before entering, but as they opened the front door they immediately came under fire from either one or two suspects, reports say
Boards cover the front of the home in Houston where Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle were shot to death during a police raid
Authorities still believe Tuttle and Nicholas were involved in criminal activity, but Acevedo said the case now is undermined.
Local community activists have been critical of the raid and neighbors have portrayed Tuttle and Nicholas as a disabled couple who seemed law abiding. The Greater Houston Coalition for Justice was set to hold a town hall meeting about the raid on Monday.
Acevedo said authorities will conduct an extensive internal review of Goines' prior cases as well as other cases by the agency's narcotics division.
'We have 5,200 officers and I would ask that nobody paint our department with a broad brush. This is not indicative of the greater work that goes on here,' Acevedo said.
During a news conference, Acevedo repeatedly said the problems related to the search warrant were discovered through the ongoing investigation and his agency is not trying to hide anything.
'We're going to get to the truth. We will report back the good, the bad and the ugly,' he said.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ficer-lied-affidavit-deadly-Houston-raid.html
- Lead investigator Gerald Goines alleged an informant bought heroin at Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas' house the day before the January raid
- But police found no heroin there and the informant denied buying the drug
- Goines, who was injured in the shootout, now faces criminal charges
- Police chief Art Acevedo said there were 'untruths or lies' in the search warrant
- Local community activists have been critical of the raid and neighbors have portrayed Tuttle and Nicholas as a disabled couple who seemed law abiding
- Police say they did find firearms at the home, along with marijuana and cocaine
Published: 15:53 EST, 15 February 2019 | Updated: 23:27 EST, 15 February 2019
The Houston officer who led a deadly raid in which a couple were killed and five cops were injured lied to get a search warrant, according to the city's police chief.
Lead investigator Gerald Goines alleged an informant bought heroin at the house of Dennis Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58, the day before the January 28 raid. The informant had also allegedly seen a handgun in the home.
But according to an affidavit filed as part of the ongoing investigation into the raid and made public Friday, the informant told investigators he or she had not bought any drugs at the home and had not been involved in any work leading up to the raid.
After the raid, police said they found several firearms at the home, along with marijuana and cocaine but no heroin. The heroin allegedly bought at the home had been obtained elsewhere, according to the affidavit.
The informant had allegedly been working with the lead investigator in the case, who was identified in the affidavit as Officer Gerald Goines. He now faces criminal charges.
Goines prepared the search warrant and has been with the police department for more than 30 years, according to investigators.
They also spoke with several other informants who had previously worked with Goines and all said they had not bought drugs at the home, according to the affidavit.
Goines was one of the four officers who were shot in the gunfight. A fifth officer injured his knee during the shooting.
Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said the ongoing investigation into the drug raid appears to have uncovered 'some untruths or lies' in the search warrant. He called this 'unacceptable.'Acevedo said: 'When we prepare a document to go into somebody's home it has to be truthful, it has to be honest, it has to be absolutely factual. So, we know already there's a crime that's been committed. A high probability there will be a criminal charge.'
Acevedo said his department's investigation has yet to determine what charges Goines could face.
Goines, who remains hospitalized, could not immediately be reached for comment Friday. The president of the Houston Police Officers' Union did not immediately return a call seeking comment.
In the hours after the raid, Acevedo had praised Goines as being 'tough as nails'.
The police chief had said officers announced themselves as Houston Police before entering, and as they opened the front door they immediately came under fire from either one or two suspects, and one officer was attacked by a pit bull.
But speaking Friday Acevedo said Goines has now been suspended. Another officer involved in the drug raid had previously been suspended.
Authorities still believe Tuttle and Nicholas were involved in criminal activity, but Acevedo said the case now is undermined.
Local community activists have been critical of the raid and neighbors have portrayed Tuttle and Nicholas as a disabled couple who seemed law abiding. The Greater Houston Coalition for Justice was set to hold a town hall meeting about the raid on Monday.
Acevedo said authorities will conduct an extensive internal review of Goines' prior cases as well as other cases by the agency's narcotics division.
'We have 5,200 officers and I would ask that nobody paint our department with a broad brush. This is not indicative of the greater work that goes on here,' Acevedo said.
During a news conference, Acevedo repeatedly said the problems related to the search warrant were discovered through the ongoing investigation and his agency is not trying to hide anything.
'We're going to get to the truth. We will report back the good, the bad and the ugly,' he said.
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/ar...ficer-lied-affidavit-deadly-Houston-raid.html
Well-fuckin-done.
