A jury convicted former Houston police officer Gerald Goines of felony murder for his role in the deadly 2019 Harding Street raid that left two residents and their dog dead. The case, tied to a falsified warrant, has exposed deep flaws in HPD's narcotics division.
Gerald Goines, a former Houston narcotics officer, was convicted of felony murder on Wednesday after hours of deliberation. The incident in question was the 2019 Harding Street operation, which resulted in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle, Rhogena Nicholas, and their dog.
Goines provided false information to secure a no-knock warrant during a botched narcotics raid, which was the focal point of the high-profile case. The search resulted in the deaths of Tuttle and Nicholas, which sparked a significant amount of controversy and scrutiny of the narcotics unit of the Houston Police Department. Goines was found guilty of two counts of homicide.
"The Nicholas family appreciates the jury verdict," stated Mike Doyle, the family's attorney. "The jury perceived this case as a combination of a measure of justice with Goines, an epic cover-up attempt, and vicious murders committed by corrupt police."
Our pursuit of justice and the unravelling of the character assassination of Dennis and Rhogena will persist in civil court. The sentencing phase is set to commence at 10 a.m. on Thursday, and Goines is at risk of serving a life sentence in prison. His sentence will be determined by the same jury following the testimony of witnesses during the punishment phase.
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