Author Topic: Harris County DA seeks dismissal of dozens of active cases after botched Pecan Park drug raid  (Read 416 times)

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Offline Elderberry

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Houston Chronicle by St. John Barned-Smith and Keri Blakinger April 26, 2019

Harris County DA seeks dismissal of dozens of narcotics officer Gerald Goines’ active cases after botched Pecan Park drug raid

Harris County prosecutors sought dismissal Friday of more than two dozen criminal cases amid concerns about the credibility of two former Houston narcotics officers entangled in a botched drug raid.

The officers, Gerald Goines and Steven Bryant, remain under investigation after allegations they lied about the circumstances of the Jan. 28 drug raid that left a Houston couple dead and five officers injured.

“Truthfulness is essential in a case that must be proved beyond a reasonable doubt,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said Friday in announcing the dismissals. “We can’t vouch for these officers’ credibility.”

The raid devolved into a gunbattle after police burst into the residence at 7815 Harding St. looking for heroin. Homeowners Dennis Tuttle and his wife, Rhogena Nicholas, were killed and five officers were injured, but investigators found only a small amount of marijuana and cocaine. Family members and neighbors said the couple were not drug dealers.

The dismissals — the latest blow to the Houston Police Department’s narcotics division — are the clearest indication yet that investigators have serious concerns about the officers’ handling of cases. Prosecutors had dropped five other cases in the weeks prior to the announcement Friday that another 27 cases were being dismissed.

Goines and Bryant were relieved of duty in the weeks after the raid and both have since retired. Goines has been accused of lying to obtain a search warrant for the home; Bryant’s handling of the case is also under investigation.

Police Chief Art Acevedo praised the move, even as a top union official called it “premature.” An attorney for one of the officers discounted the severity of the dismissals, noting that Goines could not be called as a witness while being investigated.

“We at the Houston Police Department, our men and women — the vast majority are absolute professionals,” Acevedo said. “We wanted this action taken in the interest of justice and to help continue to build trust with our community. And for those might have been guilty of the crime they were accused of, I hope they use this opportunity to turn their lives around. And those who don’t, we will hold them accountable at another date.”

The raid remains under investigation by Houston police, the DA’s office, and the FBI. Prosecutors are also reviewing more than 2,200 past cases that Goines and Bryant worked on.

“Police corruption erodes public trust and through methodical, deliberate and independent investigation, we will get to the truth,” Ogg said.

Defendants ‘overjoyed’

Nakeisha Simon gasped after learning the charges against her had been dropped.

More: https://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Harris-County-DA-seeks-dismissal-of-narcotics-13798476.php
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