Former Houston Police Department narcotics officer Gerald Goines was found guilty on two counts of murder for his involvement in the 2019 Harding Street Raid, an HPD raid that took the lives of innocent residents Dennis Tuttle, Rhogena Nicholas, and their dog.
The raid revealed systemic problems within HPD and brought an end to Goines’ career, which included many accusations by residents that he terrorized communities for decades.
Goines lied and framed the victims as dangerous drug dealers to get the search warrant that led to the raid. He initially told investigators that he witnessed an informant purchase black tar heroin at the home from “a man with a gun” and then subsequently changed his story, saying he had bought drugs at the residence. An officer who participated in the raid and the judge who signed off on the warrant said it wouldn’t have happened had Goines not lied.
Based on his lies, HPD was granted a warrant and performed a no-knock raid, bursting into the couple’s home and firing. Ultimately, Tuttle, Nicholas, and their dog were killed, while four officers were shot and one was injured. One of the officers who testified during the trial said, “It sounded like a war in there.”
Harris County Precinct 1 Commissioner Rodney Ellis released the following statement after the verdict:
Justice for Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas was served today, but equal justice for all people will remain elusive in Harris County until we advance reforms that put an end to no-knock warrants, reduce economic and racial disparities, and increase civilian oversight of law enforcement. This isn’t just about bad apples – it’s about an unjust system.
The same jury that convicted Goines will also decide his sentence, and he could face up to life in prison. So far, after a review of cases that Goines was involved in, 22 have been overturned by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals.
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