HOUSTON – At least 800 cases linked to Houston Police Officer Steven Bryant will be reviewed, according to Harris County officials. The cases will be reviewed as a part of a probe that stems from a deadly officer-involved shooting on Harding Street in late January.
Bryant was the first officer to be relieved of duty in the wake of the Harding Street raid.
Bryant's cases will be reviewed in addition to more than 1,400 cases tied to Officer Gerald Goines. Goines was relieved of duty last month.
“We have a duty to the people of Harris County to pursue justice in every instance, no matter how many cases this involves,” Harris County District Attorney Kim Ogg said. “We are going to thoroughly review each of these cases to ensure that the arrests and convictions were proper.”
On Feb. 20, Ogg ordered the review of 1,400 cases connected to Goines, who is accused of lying to obtain a search warrant that led to the Jan. 28 Harding Street raid that killed 59-year-old Dennis Tuttle and 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas.
Officials said about 30 cases tied to Bryant are active.
KPRC2 legal analyst Brian Wice said the DA's office is going to have to double their personnel to help review the cases. He said it could take up to a year and he thinks that reopening the cases could come with a price.
“These are cases where there is a bunch of people in the penitentiary, some of which could get the 'get out of jail cards' who may not deserve it, but that's the price that criminal justice system requires to be paid in a situation where you got one or two bad apples,” Wice said.
The Houston Police Department issued the following response following the announcement by Ogg:
“This is something HPD had already initiated. The DA’s actions were anticipated and welcomed.”
Below is a look at cases Goines is connected to that are pending in court as well as a timeline of events.
