Gerald Goines dies in fatal Houston shooting
Gerald Goines dies in fatal Houston shooting
Fatal Houston shooting death of Gerald Goines – Obituary
A jury has commenced deliberations regarding the case of former Houston police officer Gerald Goines, who is charged with the murders of a couple during a 2019 drug raid that has led to an investigation revealing serious corruption within the police department’s narcotics division.
Goines faces two murder charges related to the deaths of Dennis Tuttle, 59, and his wife Rhogena Nicholas, 58, in January 2019. He has entered a not guilty plea.
The couple, along with their dog, was killed when officers forcibly entered their residence using a “no-knock” warrant, which allowed them to enter without announcing their presence.
In addition to the murder charges, jurors may also consider a lesser charge against Goines for tampering with a governmental record, following accusations that he falsified the search warrant that authorized the raid on the couple’s home.
During the closing arguments of the trial, which started on September 9, prosecutors alleged that Goines, 59, invented a fictitious informant and misled individuals to obtain a search warrant that falsely depicted Tuttle and Nicholas as dangerous drug dealers.
Prosecutor Keaton Forcht stated that the events occurring in the home, including the couple’s deaths and the injuries to law enforcement officers, stemmed directly from Goines’ deceit and the fabricated search warrant. The raid resulted in four officers being shot and a fifth sustaining injuries.
Forcht described the deaths of Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle as a severe injustice.
Defense attorneys acknowledged that Goines lied to acquire the search warrant but downplayed the significance of his misrepresentations. They argued that Nicholas and Tuttle were accountable for their own fatalities.
Goines is currently on trial in the 482nd District Court at the Harris County Criminal courthouse. Defense attorney Mac Secrest asserted that Tuttle and Nicholas did not die due to the flawed warrant but rather because they did not comply with police orders and fired at officers, thereby endangering them.
“You can dislike Gerald… but he is not guilty of murder,” Secrest contended.
Another defense attorney, Nicole DeBorde, implied that Tuttle’s history of mental health issues could have influenced the situation. She suggested that evidence indicated the couple was armed and potentially dangerous.
However, prosecutor Tanisha Manning countered, stating that Tuttle, a military veteran with chronic health issues, had every right to protect his home when intruders burst in. She emphasized that the responsibility for the ensuing gunfire lay solely with Gerald Goines.
Investigators reported that only small quantities of marijuana and cocaine were discovered in the residence.
During the trial, Texas Ranger Jeff Wolf, who investigated the incident, testified that officers fired first upon entering the home and shot the couple’s dog. He noted that Tuttle likely came out of his bedroom and opened fire after hearing the gunfire and Nicholas’s screams.
The defense argued that officers had identified themselves, but Wolf testified that the couple might not have heard them before the shooting began. The defense claimed Tuttle was the first to shoot at the officers.
An officer involved in the raid and the judge who approved the search warrant both stated that the operation would not have occurred had they been aware of Goines’ dishonesty in obtaining the warrant.
If convicted of murder, Goines could face life imprisonment.
The investigation into the drug raid also unveiled allegations of widespread corruption. A dozen officers connected to the narcotics unit involved in the raid, including Goines, have faced various charges, with some cases dismissed by a judge in June.
Following the raid, prosecutors have been reassessing thousands of cases associated with the narcotics unit. The Texas Court of Criminal Appeals has overturned at least 22 convictions linked to Goines, who is also facing federal charges.
One notable case still under review involves Goines’ 2004 arrest of George Floyd in Houston, which has drawn attention after Floyd’s 2020 death at the hands of a Minnesota officer ignited nationwide protests against racism in law enforcement. A Texas board in 2022 denied a request to grant Floyd a posthumous pardon for his drug conviction linked to Goines’ arrest.
Federal civil rights lawsuits filed by the families of Tuttle and Nicholas against Goines and 12 other officers involved in the raid, as well as the city of Houston, are set to go to trial in November.
Gerald Goines dies in fatal Houston shooting Fatal Houston shooting death of Gerald Goines – Obituary A jury has commenced deliberations regarding the case of former Houston police officer Gerald Goines, who is charged with the murders of a couple during a 2019 drug raid that has led to an investigation revealing serious corruption within…
Gerald Goines dies in fatal Houston shooting Fatal Houston shooting death of Gerald Goines – Obituary A jury has commenced deliberations regarding the case of former Houston police officer Gerald Goines, who is charged with the murders of a couple during a 2019 drug raid that has led to an investigation revealing serious corruption within…