HOUSTON, Texas – Thursday marked the fourth day of the murder trial for former narcotics officer Gerald Goines, who faces charges related to the deaths of Harding Street homeowners Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas.
Steven Bryant, a former Houston Police Department narcotics officer and Goines’ former partner, took the stand for most of the day.
In 2021, Bryant pleaded guilty to federal charges for destruction, alteration, or falsification of government records and is awaiting sentencing.
Bryant, a key witness due to his close relationship with Goines, revealed new developments, including the use of a previously undocumented body camera used during the raid. Bryant testified that following the Jan. 28, 2019 raid on Harding Street, fellow narcotics Officer Felipe Gallegos (also on the scene that day) informed him that their HPD narcotics sergeant, Clemente Reyna, had worn a personal body camera during the raid.
The camera and video appeared to have never been collected.
“What disturbs me most about this personal body camera footage is that neither the state nor the Houston Police Department took the necessary steps to acquire the footage. Both sides knew this case would be going in front of a grand jury at a minimum. Why didn’t they preserve that evidence? Evidence that could have told the jury what truly happened in that house beyond a reasonable doubt?” said attorney Casey Gonzalez.
Hearing this, Judge Veronica Nelson dismissed the jury for a brief recess to allow the state to address the issue.
Bryant confirmed he had not seen Sgt. Reyna wearing a body camera but said he believed Gallegos was telling him the correct information. He also stated he had never seen the footage and did not know its whereabouts.
During the break, the judge asked the state and HPD to locate the video, as the video could possibly reveal what actually happened inside the Harding Street home is missing.
“If the Judge believes the state or Houston Police Department has possession of this personal recording and didn’t turn it over to the defense, then she could grant a mistrial,” said attorney Angela Weltin, who was in the courtroom during the significant revelation.
The court recessed for lunch while the search continued.
When proceedings resumed, Bryant testified to the jury that he had never personally seen Sgt. Reyna’s body camera.
KPRC 2 Investigates reached out to legal experts following testimony that a non-departmental body camera was worn during the raid.
“Sgt. Reyna’s decision to use his own personal body camera and not turn the video over, underscore the problems when officers, especially senior officers, decide on the street what evidence will be preserved for a jury to view,” attorney Joe Vinas said. “It is not the officer’s duty to determine what is relevant at a crime scene, especially a scene as chaotic as the one on Harding Street. This begs the question: Is Sgt. Reyna hiding something?”
Sgt. Reyna, who retired from the Houston Police Department, had previously faced charges in 2019 for tampering with government records and theft by a public servant.