a425couple
2019-02-28 00:21:42 UTC
https://www.foxnews.com/us/chief-officer-lied-in-affidavit-before-deadly-
houston-raid
HOUSTON – A lead investigator lied in an affidavit justifying a drug raid
on a Houston home in which two residents were killed and four undercover
officers were shot and wounded during a gun battle, the city's police
chief said Friday.
In the search warrant that was used to justify entering the 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
Jan. 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.
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
prepared the search warrant and has been with the police department for
more than 30 years, according to investigators.
Goines was one of the four officers who were shot in the gunfight that
killed 59-year-old Dennis Tuttle and 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas, who
both lived in the home. A fifth officer injured his knee during the
shooting.
Investigators 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.
After the raid, police said they found several firearms at the home, along
with marijuana and cocaine but no heroin.
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."
"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," Acevedo
said. "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."
Acevedo said Goines has 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.
WTF!!!!houston-raid
HOUSTON – A lead investigator lied in an affidavit justifying a drug raid
on a Houston home in which two residents were killed and four undercover
officers were shot and wounded during a gun battle, the city's police
chief said Friday.
In the search warrant that was used to justify entering the 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
Jan. 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.
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
prepared the search warrant and has been with the police department for
more than 30 years, according to investigators.
Goines was one of the four officers who were shot in the gunfight that
killed 59-year-old Dennis Tuttle and 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas, who
both lived in the home. A fifth officer injured his knee during the
shooting.
Investigators 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.
After the raid, police said they found several firearms at the home, along
with marijuana and cocaine but no heroin.
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."
"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," Acevedo
said. "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."
Acevedo said Goines has 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.
And we will probably never learn the whole truth.
Sad. Despicable.
He just totally lost his way.
When did it happen?????