Houston City Council Approves Additional Funding for Legal Defense in No-Knock Raid Lawsuit
Houston, Texas – In a recent development, the Houston City Council has voted to allocate more funds to the legal team representing the city and its former chief of police in a lawsuit filed by the families of Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle. The couple was tragically killed in a no-knock raid in 2019. The decision to provide additional financial support comes after an FBI investigation revealed that the search warrant used in the raid was obtained through a lie told by Gerald Goines, the lead narcotics officer involved in the case.
Goines had claimed that a confidential informant had purchased drugs from Nicholas and Tuttle’s home, but it was later discovered that this was not true and the couple was not involved in any drug-related activities. Despite this revelation, a team of Houston police officers executed the no-knock warrant, resulting in the fatal shooting of Nicholas, Tuttle, and their dog.
The families of the victims have filed a lawsuit against the Houston Police Department and former Police Chief Art Acevedo. To support their legal defense, the city council has now authorized up to $1.7 million in funding. This additional allocation brings the total authorized amount for their defense to approximately $2.95 million.
City Attorney Arturo Michel emphasized that the city’s position is that Goines had deliberately lied. He also highlighted the implementation of measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future. These measures include requiring the chief’s approval for a no-knock warrant, execution by a specialized tactical team rather than the investigative team, and having the warrant signed by a district court judge.
The majority of council members approved the allocation of funds, expressing satisfaction with the implemented measures. However, District F Council Member Tiffany Thomas abstained from voting, and further clarification on her decision is awaited.
In other news, former Police Chief Art Acevedo was recently announced to be taking on a new role as an assistant city manager overseeing the police department in Austin. However, Acevedo later announced on social media that he would not be accepting the position due to backlash.
