Posted on 08/14/2020 5:17:49 AM PDT by marktwain
On 28 January, 2019, a Houston Police Department Narcotics unit executed a no-knock warrant on an innocent Houston Couple, Dennis Tuttle, a disabled Navy veteran, and his wife Rhogena Nicholas, a devout Christian.
The raid was based on lies told to the court, about drug sales that never happened, to obtain the warrant. The couple were not drug dealers. When armed men burst into their home, without warning, and killed their dog, Denis Tuttle is said to have fought back with his .357 revolver.
Dennis and his wife Rhogena and their dog were all killed. The organizer of the raid, then officer Gerald Goins, was wounded in the neck. He could not talk. That may be why the coverup fell apart. Three other officers were wounded.
Over the next year and a half, investigations forced onto the Houston police department by citizens, the FBI, the Tuttle family, and the Harris County Prosecutor, unraveled a story of corruption and lack of accountability that lead to the Tuttle deaths.
Two officers, Goins and his Partner, Steven Bryant, retired from the department, and were charged with both state and federal crimes. Hundreds of cases were brought into doubt. Harris County District Attorney, Kim Ogg announced a thorough, deep investigation into the Houston PD, especially the Narcotics squad 15, which had conducted the raid.
Now, a year and a half after the murder of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas, a grand jury has come out with indictments for four more officers. All of the officers retired since the investigation into the raid began.
Prosecutors charged six officers, including Goins and Bryant, on 1 July, 2020.
(Excerpt) Read more at ammoland.com ...
I am still baffled as to why Goins mounted a raid to kill two nobodies and a dog.
I know. There must have been something “else”
“I am still baffled as to why Goins mounted a raid to kill two nobodies and a dog.”
Because they could.
L
“I am still baffled as to why Goins mounted a raid to kill two nobodies and a dog.”
The article states it was due to lying informants and trigger happy corrupt policemen.
Stories like this are the reason why I’ve never bought into that silly “Back the Blue” nonsense.
Hang’em High.
Publicly and loudly.
When there’s a “no knock” raid, whatever happens is the responsibility of the police team that planned and implemented the raid. If they raid the “wrong” house, they are guilty of murder when the innocent person defends himself and they shoot him. I will not back down from that statement.
A letter of “apology” from the police chief won’t hack it. The right to self defense is absolute. It is not invalidated by the actions of the police who think the person is guilty.
I can’t remember where, but I distinctly remember an article stating that an informant had a beef with the victims, and that one officer, maybe Goins, had some kind of relationship (not sure what kind) with the informant.
Wish I could remember that more clearly.
Last Republican Mayor of the City of Houston left office in 1981, so after almost 40 years, even a Texas City has their chickens coming home to roost!
For me, the moral of the story is that no-knock raids should be ended. Even though Goins and his goons did the killing, everybody who signed off on the raid are accomplices in a murder.
You can back the blue and hold them accountable for any questionable actions as well. If “back the blue” means don’t question anything they do, then that is silly and unrealistic.
Killing them was not the intent. It was the result of decades of corruption.
Goins and Narcotics Squad 15 had been lying, cutting corners, arresting innocents, overcharging on overtime and pocketing informant money for a long time.
In this case, they did a no-knock raid on an innocent couple, based on a warrant obtained by fraud on the court. Dennis Tuttlet fought back.
They were used to having their way and molesting people without consequence.
A combination of Dennis Tuttle fighting back, Goins being shot in the neck, so he could not talk to coordinate the coverup, and the ubiquity of digital recording devices, brought them down.
Corruption, all over the country, is being reduced by the ubiquity of recording devices and the growing use of body cameras.
One thing that stood out about the raid, was there were no body cameras. The Narcotics Squad was exempt, because they were "undercover" officers. For decades. Goins had been an "undercover" narcotics officer for over 30 years!
I would agree, but I would like to add this:
EVERY LAST PERSON invo0lved in this Murder should be Charged with 1st Degree Murder under the Felony Murder Rule which is Applied to EVERY OTHER PERSON in the USA, I would even charge the Judge
Not ended, but they certainly should be the exceptions rather than the rule. They are appropriate for a known violent suspects or for where evidence could be quickly and easily destroyed. But they should be an exception.
Plus get rid of civil forfeiture, and require a conviction before permanently taking property.
A neighbor, Patricia Ann Garcia, has been indicted on federal charges of conveying false information, with several 911 calls. She alleged the Tuttles were drug dealers and had machine guns. None of it was true.
Goines (this is the correct spelling), claimed that an informant had made two drug buys at the house, and had used that information to get the warrant. No informant had made any such buys.
Goines was found to have drugs of the type claimed in the warrant, in his car, as well as a stolen handgun, when his official vehicle was searched.
His partner, Steven Bryant was caught lying for him, trying to cover up.
No such drugs were found at the Tuttle home.
Goines was having an affair with the informant who he falsely claimed had done the drug buys.
You just halt right there, pal. These were NOT NOBODIES!
They were HEROES for standing up on their own sacred territory, exercising to the death one of those rights--to keep and bear arms--in defense of those other rights.
Clearly even the poor canine defender was executed for its loyalty to them.
You should be greatly shamed and openly apologetic for even thinking that these were n o b o d i e s, including their poor dog.
These officers ought to be executed without mercy because of willingly, deliberately, repeatedly, and with a plan in mind violating their oath of office and the training which they had received at the outset as rookies.
Going into this no-knock home invasion, they were not merely criminals, they were malefactors who consciously took advantage of the lethal trust placed in them by the members of the community.
They need to be handled as an example of true justice seen far and wide as a warning to all badge-carrying sword-bearers, especially those on or directing SWAT teams.
Good.
Agreed, other than a hostage situation, no-knock raids are never justified.
Wonder what it was that he couldn't plant that evidence inside that house? They probably would have never been caught if he had been able to, like many times before no doubt.
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