On Wednesday, 25 September, 2024, Houston ex-police officer Gerald Goines was found guilty of two counts of felony murder. Reporters in the courtroom, when the verdict of guilty against former officer Goines was read, said they were shocked he was convicted. Goines has been unconfined for nearly five years after he retired in March of 2019.
The sentencing phase of the current trial will start on September 26, 2024. From click2houston.com:
The jury in the high-profile murder trial of former Houston Police Department narcotics officer Gerald Goines reached a verdict of guilty Wednesday afternoon.
Goines was found guilty of two counts of murder in the 2019 Harding Street raid that resulted in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle, Rhogena Nicholas, and their dog.
The ex-officer’s sentencing phase will begin Thursday at 10 a.m. He faces up to life in prison. The same jury will also decide his sentence after hearing from witnesses during the punishment phase.
Goines’ former partner, Steven Bryant, pleaded guilty to federal charges of altering or falsifying government records in 2021. His testimony was significant at the Goines trial this past week. From click to Houston on September 12, 2024:
After the shooting, Bryant testified that he heard former HPD Chief Art Acevedo tell several officers to turn off their bodycam video, to which they complied. When asked by attorney Manning if this was policy, Bryant testified “We are supposed to keep out bodycams on during a raid.”
Bryant was then asked by attorney Manning if any of the narcotics team had on bodycam video during the raid, Bryant said no but the narcotics team sergeant did have an independent body camera video.
AmmoLand has been at the forefront of reporting on the bloody Harding Street raid since it became known in January 2019. At the time, it was reported no officers were wearing body cameras. Now we know there were body cameras, but Chief Acevedo ordered them to be turned off.
Chief Acevedo resigned from the Houston PD in 2021 to take a position as police chief in Miami, Florida. He was fired after six months on the job. Then, he became the police chief in Aurora, Colorado, in December 2022. He resigned from the position in January 2023. Acevedo was appointed assistant city manager in Austin in January of 2024, but turned down the position later in the month. Acevedo’s decision to order officers to turn off body cameras has sparked a controversy.
Four other officers were charged after an investigation by the Harris County Attorney General. From a previous AmmoLand article:
Prosecutors charged six officers, including Goins and Bryant, on 1 July, 2020.
The additional charges are primarily for overcharges of overtime, false claims about money for informants, and tampering with government records. Several of the charges are based on phone records which show what was claimed on government forms could not have happened, given the location records from the phones. One officer characterized them as “paperwork violations”. Small violations led to a sloppy attitude about following the rules. Many would say overcharging on overtime is not a small violation. Then Dennis and Rhogena paid the price.
In January, 2019, two innocent people were killed because dirty police officers lied on a warrant. There is significant evidence the corruption had been ongoing for years. In the aftermath of the raid many are questioning the utility and overuse of no-knock warrants.
Goines still faces federal charges stemming from the no-knock raid. There are at least two ongoing civil cases resulting from the raid.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of Constitutional Carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
“Chief” (Ha, ha) Art Acevedo is a job hopping, incompetent libtard who brings trouble with himself where ever he goes, but miraculously always escapes any punishment for his actions. He’s the one that should have gone to the “big house” long ago…
It took five years from 2019 to 2024 for Goines to finally be tried – and he remained out on own recognizance that whole time. Meanwhile Justin Ervin and Matt Hoover rot in prison for exercising their first amendment. Compare that to getting warrant on false pretenses – resulting in deaths of innocent victims – while carrying drugs to plant as evidence. Had Gary not shot Goines, none of this would have come to light and the Goines Gang would have continued their despicable SOP. I for one wonder just how many others had been victimized by these criminal-cops. Goines… Read more »
Yeah, makes you wonder how many innocent people have been framed by this group of rogue undercover cops?
the bad actors need to hang,police can not and will not control their own
No knock raids should be abolished.
There is rarely a need to storm the castle. Turn off the power and water and wait them out.
MUST END QUALIFIED IMMUNITY!!!
Gang bangers with badges.
Tyrants employ no-knock (Gestapo) raids to terrorize populations into submission.
In our country, the only reason for “no knock” law raids should be to save lives under immediate threat.
I’ve never liked to idea of no knock raids. There’s just much unnecessary violence involved, even if the warrant is legitimate.
The cops should knock, announce themselves, present the warrant, and then if people resist, the cops can take action. But they MUST announce themselves.
What about the many articles , that have mentioned that the no knock warrants had the wrong address on it? Many people shot or beat up by police.
Or informers driving around, just pick out a address at random, and next thing you know, the police are smashing down your front door thinking you are a drug dealer and have guns pointed at you.
That was part of what I meant by “unnecessary violence”.
Years ago, in St. Paul they did a no knock raid on a “drug house”.
Guess what? The first SWAT guy through the door got blasted with 00 Buckshot. I think he just was wounded severely not dead. They were able to talk to the poor resident, and found out they hit not only the wrong address, but they were blocks, or miles from the intended target.
The resident never was charged, thank God.
Yup, he is on his way. He murdered two innocent people and their dog. What I don’t know is why he did that. Was he screwing the evil neighbor lady? Was he looking to put another feather in his cap by framing those two innocent people? Was he giving the boss excuses for all his overtime? It’s good that this case was tried in court because it shows me that there is SOME hope for the judicial system. Cops like this guy make life and justice difficult for the righteous cops who are out there risking their neck trying to… Read more »
Ever see the movie ‘Training Day’ (2001)? This sounds similar.
GOOD! Can someone start a Go Fund Me to buy Goins an adequate supply of Preparation H and K-Y Jelly? He may need it where he is going.
To hell with him. Let him take it dry and without warning (like his victims).
send him ky with sand added
Not a bad idea!
Perhaps mix in some “Icy Hot…”
LMAO!
Pineapples.
Goings is just the tip of the issues with this case, the state forensic team lead a coverup from the beginning, HPD the former chief Acevedo and mayor all lied {cover up} to the public, the Chief ordered all body cams on scene be turned off and is guilty of witness/evidence tampering! The head of the police union Garibaldi lied and backed these rogue cops. These executions would have been swept under the rug had it not been for independent forensic investigation which forced DA Ogg to do her job! now the question is when and if will Chief A… Read more »
Good! Those who MURDER, MUST dance to the music! This INCLUDES the ATF,NFA BUREAUCRATES and the EXECUTIONERS who go home to home and MURDER, ASSASSINATE INNOCENT Legal Law Abiding American Citizens whom the ‘atf, nfa’ CLAIM are breaking their ILLEGAL RULES or REGULATIONS!!!!
Unfortunately rogue cops give the good cops a black eye and create distrust among communities and this is what gives the “Defund the cops ” crowd a voice. Good cops need to police thier own to restore trust .