Former Houston Police Officer Charged With Murder Over No-Knock Raid That Left 2 Dead
HOUSTON (CBSDFW.COM/AP) — A former Houston police officer has been charged with felony murder in connection with a deadly January drug raid that killed a couple and injured several officers, prosecutors announced Friday.
The Jan. 28 raid came under scrutiny after police alleged one of the officers who was shot, Gerald Goines, lied in order to obtain a search warrant. Killed in the shooting were 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas and 59-year-old Dennis Tuttle.
Family and friends of Tuttle and Nicholas have continuously dismissed allegations the couple sold drugs. They say the couple, who were married for 20 years, were not criminals, but were animal lovers who lived quiet, simple lives.
Although police found small amounts of marijuana and cocaine in the home, they found no heroin. Also, in Nicholas' autopsy report, benzoylecgonine — a metabolite of cocaine — was found in her bloodstream.
The Harris County District Attorney's Office announced the charges against Goines at a press conference Friday. Another officer was charged with tampering with a government record.
Both were expected to surrender later Friday afternoon, District Attorney Kim Ogg said.
Initially, Houston police maintained that after officers entered the home, Rhogena Nicholas tried to take away a shotgun from an officer and was fatally shot by officers who saw what was happening. But an independent review by the family of Rhogena Nicholas earlier this year cast doubt on that portrayal.
Goines' attorney previously said he has done nothing wrong.
(© Copyright 2019 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)