HOUSTON – The Houston police officer at the center of an investigation after a botched drug raid is out of the intensive care unit.
Officer Gerald Goines was shot in the neck and face during a drug raid-turned-shootout at 7815 Harding St. on Jan. 28 and had to undergo six surgeries.
Goines is accused of lying on an affidavit used to get a no-knock warrant that led to the raid, which ended with four officers shot and the deaths of Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas and their dog.
After six weeks of recovery, Goines is out of the ICU and his attorney, Nicole DeBorde, is responding to the controversy in defense of her client.
DeBorde said she believed Goines is “innocent of any crime,” and said Chief Art Acevedo is being irresponsible by his recent claims regarding the case and Goines' involvement.
“I think it’s difficult to come to a fair, just conclusion when the chief law enforcement officer for the agency investigating the case is publicly making comments about how the case should end before the investigation has ended,” DeBorde said. “It’s very one-sided. It makes me very concerned that there may be a political agenda and having the public become angry at this one particular officer, distracting maybe from the larger picture.”
Goines’ attorney also said she is worried he is going to be judged unfairly because of all the publicity and scandal surrounding the case.
“With this sort of pressure that has been created by little pieces of information and angry press conferences held by the chief law enforcement officer and others, it’s going to be hard for this particular DA to make a fair charging decision that’s not politically filtered,” DeBorde said.
According to DeBorde, Goines is aware of what is being said about him but is unable to communicate at length.