Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas (2019)
Overview
On January 8, 2019, Patricia Garcia, a neighbor, called police several times to report that her daughter was being held inside the house of Tuttle and Nicholas, who she claimed were drug dealers and possessed machine guns.[1][2]
In applying for a warrant, Houston Texas Police Department Officer Gerald Goines claimed that a confidential information had purchased heroin and saw a semi-automatic handgun at the house, and that the house had been under investigation for two weeks.[3][1][4]
On January 28, 2019, the agency executed a no-knock warrant at the house.[3] Police claim that Officer Cedell Lovings was attacked by a pitbull, before he shot and killed the dog. Tuttle fired a revolver at Lovings, striking him. When the officer fell, Nicholas tried to retrieve the officer's shotgun. Another officer shot and killed Nicholas. The shootout continued, during which Officer Felipe Gallegos shot and killed Tuttle and four officers were shot. Goines was shot in the face.[1] Lovings was paralyzed.[5][6]
The raid team officers had not been issued body-worn cameras. Sergeant Clemente Reyna may have worn a personal body-worn camera. The police chief ordered responding officers to turn off their body-worn cameras.[7]
A search found no heroin nor a semi-automatic handgun in the house.[1]
Officer Steven Bryant reported that he had assisted Goines in the investigation of the house and claimed that he found a brown powdery substance that he believed to be heroin during the raid[4]
Between January 30, 2019 and February 13, 2019, Goines claimed that he and two different confidential informants had purchased narcotics at the house.[8]
By January 31, 2019, the agency opened an investigation.[1]
By January 31, 2019, the Harris County District Attorney's Office opened an investigation.[1]
On February 8, 2019, Goines and Bryant were relieved of duty due to "ongoing questions" about the incident.[9]
By February 20, 2019, the FBI had opened an investigation.[10]
On February 20, 2019, the District Attorney announced that they would review all 1,400 cases in which Goines was involved.[11]
On February 21, 2019, Goines and Bryant were suspended without pay.[1]
On March 4, 2019, the District Attorney announced that they would review at least 800 cases in which Bryant was involved.[12]
On March 8, 2019, Bryant retired. Bryant will be eligible for full pension and benefits.[13]
In March 2019, Goines retired.[14]
The confidential informants denied having been to the house and purchasing drugs.[1]
An investigation found that Goines and Bryant had fabricated a story about the confidential informant.[3][10]
On August 23, 2019, Goines was charged with two counts of felony murder, engaging in organized criminal activity, tampering with government records, and theft by a public servant. Bryant was charged with tampering with a government document for lying in his report.[1][3][10]
On November 14, 2019, a federal grand jury indicted Goines with two counts of depriving the victims’ constitutional right to be secure against unreasonable searches, one count of obstructing justice by falsifying records, and three counts of obstructing an official proceeding. Bryant was indicted for obstructing justice by falsifying records. Garcia, the neighbor, was indicted for conveying false information in her 911 calls.[8]
On November 20, 2019, the FBI arrested Goines, Bryant, and Garcia.[1][8]
On January 15, 2020, a county grand jury indicted Goines for felony murder and tampering with a government document. Bryant was indicted for tampering with a government document.[1]
On July 1, 2020, the county District Attorney announced new charges for members of the drug task force involved in the raid, including:[15]
- Officer Hodgie Armstrong
- one charge of tampering with a government record, for an offense report that was filed.
- Officer Steven Bryant
- two charges of tampering with a government record, for reporting giving money to informants for services or buying drugs. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000.
- Officer Gerald Goines
- three charges of tampering with a government record, for applying for search warrants. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000.
- Lieutenant Robert Gonzales
- one charge of misapplication of fiduciary property, for not properly verifying and authorizing expenditures.
- Clemente Reyna
- three charges of tampering with a government record, for filing confidential informant forms. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000.
- Sergeant Thomas Wood
- one charge of tampering with a government record, for filing confidential informant forms. One charge of theft by a public servant between $2,500 and $30,000.
On January 25, 2021, a county grand jury indicted six officers who were involved in the raid on new or additional charges based on their attempt to receive unearned overtime pay:[16][10]
- Hodgie Armstrong
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($2,500-$30,000), and tampering with a governmental record
- Officer Nadeem Ashraf
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($30,000-$150,000), and tampering with a governmental record
- Felipe Gallegos
- first-degree felony murder in the death of Dennis Tuttle. Gallegos faces up to life in prison.
- Cedell Lovings
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($30,000-$150,000), and tampering with a governmental record
- Officer Griff Maxwell
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($2,500-$30,000), and tampering with a governmental record
- Officer Frank Medina
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($2,500-$30,000), and tampering with a governmental record
- Officer Oscar Pardo
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($30,000-$150,000), and tampering with a governmental record
- Clemente Reyna
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($30,000-$150,000), and tampering with a governmental record
- Thomas Wood
- engaging in organized criminal activity, aggregate theft by a public servant ($30,000-$150,000), and tampering with a governmental record
On January 27, 2021, the families of Tuttle and Nicholas filed civil lawsuits against the city.[17][3]
In March 2021, Garcia, the neighbor, pleaded guilty to a charge of conveying false information.[18]
On June 1, 2021, Bryant pleaded guilty to obstructing justice by falsifying records.[2][10]
On June 2, 2021, Goines and Gallegos were indicted for engaging in organized criminal activity for a "long-running overtime theft scheme".[19]
On June 8, 2021, a judge sentenced Garcia, the neighbor, to 40 months in federal prison. Contrary to her claims during the 911 calls, Garcia had no daughter.[2]
On August 17, 2021, the murder charge against Gallegos was dismissed due to misconduct by a prosecutor.[20]
On March 26, 2024, a judge dismissed the murder charges against Goines, as the indictments were too broad and did not provide "a meaningful opportunity to present a complete defense". The District Attorney can file amended charges or appeal the judge's ruling.[21]
On April 4, 2024, a grand jury indicted Goines on an amended set of two murder charges.[22]
On June 24, 2024, a judge dismissed the organized criminal activity charges against Armstrong, Reyna, Wood, Ashraf, Gallegos, Lovings, Maxwell, Medina, and Pardoas as the indictments were too broad.[10]
On October 16, 2024, Goines, Wood, Pado, Ashraf, Medina, Reyna, Maxwell, Bryant, Armstrong, Lovings, and Gallegos were re-indicted and charged with engaging in organized criminal activity.[23]
On September 24, 2024, a jury found Goines guilty of two counts of felony murder.[24]
On October 8, 2024, a jury sentenced Goines to 60 years in prison for two felony counts of murder. Goines would not be eligible for parole for 30 years, when he would be 90 years old.[3]
Officers Involved
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Florian Martin, Timeline: A Botched Houston Police Raid And Its Consequences, Houston Public Media, 2019-02-28
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Cameron Langford, Texas Woman Sentenced for ‘Swatting’ Calls That Led to Deadly Police Raid, Courthouse News Service, 2021-06-08
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 Lucio Vasquez, Ex-Houston cop Gerald Goines sentenced to 60 years in prison after Harding Street murder convictions, Houston Public Media, 2024-10-08
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Former Houston Police Officer Charged With Murder Over Botched Drug Raid, Houston Public media, 2019-08-23
- ↑ Aaron Baker, These are the 12 officers charged in Harding Street investigation, Click2Houston, 2021-01-28
- ↑ Miya Shay, Texas Ranger testifies in Day 8 of murder trial of ex-HPD officer Gerald Goines, KTRK, 2024-09-18
- ↑ Ninfa Saavedra, Ex-HPD narcotics officer reveals never-before-seen body camera video of deadly Harding Street raid during testimony, Click2Houston, 2024-09-12
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 8.2 Two Former Houston Police Department Officers Indicted in Connection to Fatal Raid, U.S. Department of Justice, 2019-11-20
- ↑ Timeline of controversial Houston police officer Gerald Goines' career, Chron, 2019-02-20
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 10.4 10.5 Adam Zuvanich, Harding Street raid: Judge throws out organized crime charges against nine former Houston police officers, Houston Public Media, 2024-06-25
- ↑ Harris County DA To Review 1,400 Cases Involving Houston Cop Who Led Deadly Raid, Houston Public Media, 2019-02-20
- ↑ Alvaro Ortiz, DA To Review 800 Cases Linked To Second Houston Cop Suspended Over Drug Raid, Houston Public Media, 2019-03-04
- ↑ HPD officer under review after deadly raid files for retirement, KTRK, 2019-03-07
- ↑ HPD narcotics raid officer retiring in midst of review, KTRK, 2019-03-22
- ↑ Paul DeBenedetto, DA Announces New Charges Against Officers, Supervisors At The Center Of A Deadly Houston Drug Raid, Houston Public Media, 2020-07-01
- ↑ Carolina Sanchez, Grand jury indicts 6 more Houston police officers in deadly Harding Street drug raid, FOX 26, 2021-01-25
- ↑ Family Of Harding Street Raid Victims File Lawsuits Against The City, Houston Public Media, 2021-01-28
- ↑ Woman pleads guilty to making false 911 report that sparked botched HPD Harding Street raid, KTRK, 2021-03-11
- ↑ Tierra Smith, 2 former HPD officers involved in Harding Street raid indicted for engaging in organized crime, Click2Houston, 2021-06-23
- ↑ Lucio Vasquez, Murder Charge Dismissed Against Former HPD Officer Linked To Deadly Harding Street Raid, Houston Public Media, 2021-08-17
- ↑ Adam Zuvanich, Harding Street Raid: Judge throws out murder indictments against former Houston police officer Gerald Goines, Houston Public Media, 2024-03-26
- ↑ Adam Zuvanich, Harding Street Raid: Former Houston police officer Gerald Goines reindicted on murder charges, Houston Public Media, 2024-04-04
- ↑ Former HPD officers re-indicted on organized criminal activity charges, FOX26, 2024-10-16
- ↑ Lucio Vasquez, Former Houston officer Gerald Goines found guilty of felony murder over Harding Street raid, Houston Public Media, 2024-09-25
Recent articles: Joshua Nahulu, Shevoy Brown, Thomas Mascia, Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas (2019), Gerald Goines
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