HOUSTON, Texas – On Monday, it was revealed what charges jurors will consider in the murder trial of disgraced Houston Police Department narcotics officer Gerald Goines, ahead of Tuesday’s closing arguments.
The trial revolves around the fatal 2019 Harding Street raid, resulting in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle, Rhogena Nicholas, and their dog. Goines is accused of lying to obtain the no-knock warrant that led to the deadly raid.
Four officers, including Goines, were injured in the incident.
Both sides spent hours finalizing the jury charge language with presiding Judge Veronica Nelson.
Houston-based criminal defense attorney Casey Gonzalez explained the implications for the jurors, noting that Judge Nelson accepted charges of murder and tampering with a government record.
“I’m surprised that no manslaughter or criminally negligent homicide will be considered,” Gonzalez said. “I would have expected the defense to ask for these options, as manslaughter is a second-degree felony and criminally negligent homicide is a state jail felony, which would significantly reduce the punishment range.”
Judge Nelson is still determining whether tampering with a government record will be classified as a second-degree or third-degree felony. A second-degree felony carries a punishment of two to 20 years, while a third-degree felony ranges from two to 10 years.
Prosecutors argued that Tuttle and Nicholas would still be alive if Goines hadn’t fabricated information that led to the no-knock warrant. Attorneys Tanisha Manning and Keaton Forcht spent eight days showing jurors evidence of Goines’s lies, including a confidential informant who purchased drugs from the Tuttle and Nicholas home, along with his phone records that showed neither Goines nor a CI purchased drugs from the Harding Street home leading up to the raid.
Defense attorneys contested those arguments, pointing out that although Goines lied about having a CI purchase drug from the Harding Street home, Tuttle and Nicholas were drug users, according to evidence found inside the home and Nicholas’ phone records, which showed her communicating with someone on several occasions about purchasing drugs. They also argued that Nicholas refused to follow officers’ commands during the raid and attempted to grab an officer’s weapon. Evidence was also shown that Tuttle fired at officers first, and possibly injured multiple options since “friendly fire” was ruled out.
During the arguments, bombshell testimony from Goines’ former partner, Steven Bryant, revealed the potential existence of an unseen body camera video worn by a sergeant during the deadly raid. Bryant stated that while he hadn’t personally seen the camera or the video, he believed the sergeant wore the non-departmental body camera based on information from a colleague.
Ultimately, Judge Nelson ruled there was no evidence the video ever existed and dismissed Bryant’s claims.
The court also heard extensive testimony from an HPD lieutenant who investigated the no-knock warrant and discovered that Goines fabricated having a CI obtain drugs from the Harding Street home. A video from Goines’ hospital stay was shown in court, where he wrote that there was no CI and that he had personally gone to Tuttle and Nicholas’ home to purchase the drugs. His phone records, also presented in court, proved this to be a lie.
Another key moment during the trial occurred when the state called Jeff Wolf, a lieutenant with the Texas Department of Public Safety, as a witness. During his testimony, the defense extensively questioned Wolf about officers’ statements following the raid. Wolf testified that multiple officers claimed the narcotics team announced themselves upon entering the Harding Street home and that Nicholas reached for an officer’s weapon. He also stated that her position and the location of her wounds suggested she may have been reaching down when she was shot and killed.
Wolf provided a detailed account of the officers’ positions during the shooting and clarified who shot whom and when. This testimony was pivotal as Wolf ruled out the possibility of friendly fire, indicating that the four officers were shot by Tuttle.
Closing arguments will begin Tuesday at 9:45 a.m.
If you missed a day or two, get caught up with our daily blogs that follow what’s happening inside the courtroom:
Day 10: Prosecution and defense rest in Harding Street murder trial
Day 9: Defense begins presenting case in Gerald Goines murder trial
Day 8: Autopsy photos shown in Goines trial for deadly Harding St. raid
Day 7: Jurors hear from Texas Ranger who investigated deadly Harding St. raid
Day 6: HPD detective says no evidence Gerald Goines fired firearm during deadly Harding St. raid
Day 5: Defense questions thoroughness of Harding St. home search after deadly raid
Day 4: Gerald Goines’ former HPD partner, Steven Bryant, drops bombshell during emotional testimony
Day 2 of Gerald Goines murder trial: State drilling down on initial 911 call that got things going
Day 1: Ex-HPD narcotics officer’s lies led to deadly Harding Street raid, prosecutors argue