Jury selection begins in murder trial of former Houston police officer

HOUSTON — On Monday, the jury began selecting the trial of a former Houston police officer charged with murder for his role in a Drug raid 2019 which led to the deaths of a couple and exposed systematic corruption within the police narcotics unit.

Gerald Goines pleaded not guilty to two counts of murder in connection with the January 2019 deaths of a couple, Dennis Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58.

Prosecutors allege Goines lied to obtain a search warrant by posing as a confidential informant and falsely portraying the couple as dangerous heroin dealers. That led to a deadly confrontation in which officers fatally shot Tuttle, Nicholas and their dog and found only small amounts of marijuana and cocaine in the home. Five officers, including Goines, were wounded in the raid.

Jury selection is expected to take several weeks, as prosecutors and defense plan to conduct individual interviews with potential jurors.

According to the Harris County Prosecutor’s Office, hearings in the case are expected later this month, followed by opening statements on Sept. 9.

On Monday, prosecutors and defense attorneys began asking jurors if they could remain impartial, with some saying they had learned about the case from news reports and were unsure if they could be fair. Houston Chronicle reported.

In March, a judge dismissed the murder charge against Goines. But a week later, he was re-indicted.

A dozen officers tied to the narcotics squad who carried out the raid, including Goines, were later charged on several other charges after a corruption investigationLast month, a judge dismissed charges against several officers.

Since the raid, prosecutors have reviewed thousands of cases handled by the narcotics squad.

Goines also faces federal charges in connection with the case.