Attorneys for families of victims killed in Harding Street raid give update on investigation
HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) -- More than three years after the Houston Police Department raid that killed a couple inside their home on Harding Street on the southeast side, the investigation is still unfolding.
Lawyers representing the families of Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle spoke Tuesday morning.
Nicholas and Tuttle were killed while police were executing a no-knock search warrant that turned out to be based on a lie from the lead narcotics officer on the case, Gerald Goines.
Goines was charged with falsifying documents and is no longer with Houston police.
The raid launched investigations into previous incidents involving Goines and has led to some convictions being overturned.
Just last week, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals overturned a man's conviction after false claims were made by Goines.
Frederick Jeffery walked out of prison a free man in July after serving nearly six years of a 25-year sentence for possessing a controlled substance.
SEE RELATED: Man released from prison after being wrongfully convicted of drug charge based on officer testimony
That latest overturn was the fifth conviction based on a testimony by Goines.
As for the Harding Raid, 11 other officers were also indicted for their roles in the raid.
The Nicholas and Tuttle families filed a civil lawsuit last year, but those officers charged have not yet faced a criminal jury. Because of that, attorneys for the victims said the evidence in the case is being kept from the public.
By dropping the officers from the civil suit, it is hoped the city can be brought to court and these families could potentially force the city to pay civil penalties.
"I really, really think a lot of these unanswered questions has a lot of bearing on his death, so I'm hoping we can get some kind of justice for him, as well as his mother," said Patricia Nicholas, Rhogena's sister-in-law.
"After I found out about this, I said, 'This can't be true.' It is unbelievable that they would do that to Reggie and Dennis," Cliff Tuttle, Dennis' uncle, said.
The families have not said how much they are seeking for the deaths. They are also not saying the individual officers are blameless, however waiting for the criminal cases is taking too long.
SEE RELATED STORY: Ex-HPD officer tied to deadly raid may have presented false evidence, convicting 69 people
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