Ex-officer's lies led to couple's death in Houston drug raid, prosecutor tells jurors
A prosecutor says a former Houston police officer is responsible for the 2019 deaths of a couple during a raid of their home because his lies on a search warrant wrongly portrayed them as dangerous drug dealers
HOUSTON (AP) — A former Houston police officer is responsible for the 2019 deaths of a couple during a raid of their home because his lies on a search warrant wrongly portrayed them as dangerous drug dealers, a prosecutor told jurors on Monday.
An attorney for the former officer, Gerald Goines, admitted her client lied to get the search warrant but said his actions do not merit a murder conviction, and placed the blame for the deaths on the couple.
Goines is charged with two counts of murder in the January 2019 deaths of Dennis Tuttle, 59, and his 58-year-old wife Rhogena Nicholas. Goines has pleaded not guilty.
The couple, along with their dog, were killed after officers burst into their home using a “no-knock” warrant that didn’t require them to announce themselves before entering. Goines secured the warrant from a judge.
