Houston Drug Raid 2 Weeks Ago Where 5 Officers Wer
I told y'all back then that this smelled fishy to me. Supposed massive drug den, a 58 year old couple with zero criminal record.
Cops kicked in the door, shot the dog, and then there was a gun battle.
As I said then, there is no dope in my house, but, if you kick in my door and shoot my dog, there will be a gun battle.
There are allegations that they raided the wrong house....
Houston Chronicle
HoustonChronicle.com
HPD officer connected to deadly raid, shootout relieved of duty
By St. John Barned-Smith, Jay R. Jordan, and Keri Blakinger Updated 3:25 pm CST, Thursday, February 7, 2019
165
Seventeen bullet holes can be seen on the front entrance of 7815 Harding Street, where five Houston Police officers were shot while serving a warrant Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Houston. Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer / 2018 Houston Chronicle
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer
IMAGE 1 OF 68
A Houston police officer has been relieved of duty in light of "ongoing questions" stemming from a botched drug raid that left a couple dead and five officers wounded, police said Thursday.
It's not clear what role the officer played in the Jan. 28 bust at 7815 Harding, but law enforcement sources said his suspension comes amid a probe centered on questions over whether the sworn affidavit used to justify the no-knock warrant may have contained false information.
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It's not clear if the two developments are connected.
"I know that in addition to the officer-involved shooting itself, many have questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the search warrant," Chief Art Acevedo said Thursday in response to news of the officer's suspension. "All of these questions are part of our ongoing criminal and administrative investigations."
Instead of "releasing piecemeal information," he said, the department will report findings once they've wrapped up the internal investigation. He declined to identify or release any details about the officer in question, and did not specify whether the investigation would focus on the possibility of false information in the affidavit.
READ THE WARRANT: Search warrant from drug raid that left five officers injured released
"When an officer-involved shooting occurs at HPD, we consider it a legal and moral obligation to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances leading up to and resulting in the officer-involved shooting," he said. "There is a lot of speculation as to the circumstances regarding this officer-involved shooting at 7815 Harding Street, but we urge everyone to let the investigation take its proper course and proceed to conclusion."
As is standard practice with officer-involved shootings, the Harris County District Attorney's Office will launch a civil rights investigation into the case and eventually turn over findings to a grand jury.
"Our Civil Rights Division prosecutors are currently working with the Houston Police Department's special investigation team to look at every aspect of this incident," District Attorney Kim Ogg said Thursday in a statement. "As is our policy, every shooting by a police officer -- in every instance -- is presented to a grand jury to determine if any criminal charges are warranted."
Police union president Joe Gamaldi dismissed "rumors" about the suspended officer, adding that "nearly all" officers relieved of duty come back to work following an investigation.
"The department made the decision to relieve the officer of duty while a thorough investigation continues," he said. "Rumors will undoubtedly continue until the case agent is able to be interviewed. Unfortunately, his gunshot wound has resulted in him being incapacitated while surgeries continue. Any assumptions or conclusions made prior to the interview taking place, are just assumptions."
The drug probe leading up to the botched bust started on Jan. 8, when officials say an anonymous caller phoned police to complain that her daughter was "doing drugs" inside the Harding Street home.
When officers showed up, they didn't see any suspicious activity, but stopped a passerby to ask if she'd called 911. She hadn't, but - according to what Acevedo told reporters at a Jan. 31 press conference - the woman allegedly turned back to her phone call and said, "Hey the police are at the dope house."
Afterward, police launched a full-on investigation and eventually sent in a confidential informant, authorities said. That buy allegedly netted some quantity of heroin, though officials have never said how much of the drug they recovered.
The next day, police used that purchase as a key piece of their request for a no-knock search warrant at the quiet Pecan Park home. In a three-page sworn affidavit, officers laid out their reasons for the raid.
Before the buy, police said they met with the informant - who'd worked with them on 10 other cases - and searched him for drugs. When he came out, according to the court filing, he turned over a packet of brown powder he called "boy," which is slang for heroin.
The informant also warned police of a "large quantity" of drugs inside, packaged in plastic baggies, and a 9mm handgun, an investigator - whose name was redacted - wrote in the sworn statement.
When presented with the police affidavit on Jan. 28, a municipal court judge by an officer whose name was redacted by police ? signed off on the warrant. Hours later, police crashed through the door, sparking a gun battle that left dead Tuttle, Nicholas and their dog. In the process, five officers were wounded, including four who were shot.
In the end, investigators found small amounts of marijuana and cocaine, but no heroin. They also found two 12-gauge shotguns, a 20-gauge shotgun, a .22-caliber rifle and a second rifle ? but no 9mm handgun described in the warrant.
Union officials on Thursday also pushed back on rumors that the raid took place at the wrong house.
"To be clear, officers were not on the wrong street and entry was not made at random," Gamaldi said, in the union's statement. "We would refer you to the call slip from that location on Jan. 8, over two weeks prior to the shooting."
Ashton Woods, a local activist who criticized the department's handling of the bust as well as the union's fiery response afterward, on Thursday lauded news of the disciplinary action while still pushing for closer scrutiny.
"This whole situation has been suspicious from the jump," he said. "I'm glad that they're being investigated but it sounds like it's time for Houston police to bring in an outside entity to investigate the case."
Monique Caballero, a friend of the couple who has been outspoken in her questioning of the official narrative, gushed with anger and relief at hearing the news.
"It's about time they look into what needs to be done," she said. "I firmly believe they went to the wrong house and now they're trying to cover it up, and it pisses me off that that head of the union wants to call my friend a dirtbag - you can't retract that. You can't retract and you can't bring back the dead."
Cops kicked in the door, shot the dog, and then there was a gun battle.
As I said then, there is no dope in my house, but, if you kick in my door and shoot my dog, there will be a gun battle.
There are allegations that they raided the wrong house....
Houston Chronicle
HoustonChronicle.com
HPD officer connected to deadly raid, shootout relieved of duty
By St. John Barned-Smith, Jay R. Jordan, and Keri Blakinger Updated 3:25 pm CST, Thursday, February 7, 2019
165
Seventeen bullet holes can be seen on the front entrance of 7815 Harding Street, where five Houston Police officers were shot while serving a warrant Tuesday, Jan. 29, 2019, in Houston. Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer / 2018 Houston Chronicle
Photo: Godofredo A. Vasquez, Houston Chronicle / Staff Photographer
IMAGE 1 OF 68
A Houston police officer has been relieved of duty in light of "ongoing questions" stemming from a botched drug raid that left a couple dead and five officers wounded, police said Thursday.
It's not clear what role the officer played in the Jan. 28 bust at 7815 Harding, but law enforcement sources said his suspension comes amid a probe centered on questions over whether the sworn affidavit used to justify the no-knock warrant may have contained false information.
Recommended Video
It's not clear if the two developments are connected.
"I know that in addition to the officer-involved shooting itself, many have questions regarding the circumstances surrounding the search warrant," Chief Art Acevedo said Thursday in response to news of the officer's suspension. "All of these questions are part of our ongoing criminal and administrative investigations."
Instead of "releasing piecemeal information," he said, the department will report findings once they've wrapped up the internal investigation. He declined to identify or release any details about the officer in question, and did not specify whether the investigation would focus on the possibility of false information in the affidavit.
READ THE WARRANT: Search warrant from drug raid that left five officers injured released
"When an officer-involved shooting occurs at HPD, we consider it a legal and moral obligation to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the circumstances leading up to and resulting in the officer-involved shooting," he said. "There is a lot of speculation as to the circumstances regarding this officer-involved shooting at 7815 Harding Street, but we urge everyone to let the investigation take its proper course and proceed to conclusion."
As is standard practice with officer-involved shootings, the Harris County District Attorney's Office will launch a civil rights investigation into the case and eventually turn over findings to a grand jury.
"Our Civil Rights Division prosecutors are currently working with the Houston Police Department's special investigation team to look at every aspect of this incident," District Attorney Kim Ogg said Thursday in a statement. "As is our policy, every shooting by a police officer -- in every instance -- is presented to a grand jury to determine if any criminal charges are warranted."
Police union president Joe Gamaldi dismissed "rumors" about the suspended officer, adding that "nearly all" officers relieved of duty come back to work following an investigation.
"The department made the decision to relieve the officer of duty while a thorough investigation continues," he said. "Rumors will undoubtedly continue until the case agent is able to be interviewed. Unfortunately, his gunshot wound has resulted in him being incapacitated while surgeries continue. Any assumptions or conclusions made prior to the interview taking place, are just assumptions."
The drug probe leading up to the botched bust started on Jan. 8, when officials say an anonymous caller phoned police to complain that her daughter was "doing drugs" inside the Harding Street home.
When officers showed up, they didn't see any suspicious activity, but stopped a passerby to ask if she'd called 911. She hadn't, but - according to what Acevedo told reporters at a Jan. 31 press conference - the woman allegedly turned back to her phone call and said, "Hey the police are at the dope house."
Afterward, police launched a full-on investigation and eventually sent in a confidential informant, authorities said. That buy allegedly netted some quantity of heroin, though officials have never said how much of the drug they recovered.
The next day, police used that purchase as a key piece of their request for a no-knock search warrant at the quiet Pecan Park home. In a three-page sworn affidavit, officers laid out their reasons for the raid.
Before the buy, police said they met with the informant - who'd worked with them on 10 other cases - and searched him for drugs. When he came out, according to the court filing, he turned over a packet of brown powder he called "boy," which is slang for heroin.
The informant also warned police of a "large quantity" of drugs inside, packaged in plastic baggies, and a 9mm handgun, an investigator - whose name was redacted - wrote in the sworn statement.
When presented with the police affidavit on Jan. 28, a municipal court judge by an officer whose name was redacted by police ? signed off on the warrant. Hours later, police crashed through the door, sparking a gun battle that left dead Tuttle, Nicholas and their dog. In the process, five officers were wounded, including four who were shot.
In the end, investigators found small amounts of marijuana and cocaine, but no heroin. They also found two 12-gauge shotguns, a 20-gauge shotgun, a .22-caliber rifle and a second rifle ? but no 9mm handgun described in the warrant.
Union officials on Thursday also pushed back on rumors that the raid took place at the wrong house.
"To be clear, officers were not on the wrong street and entry was not made at random," Gamaldi said, in the union's statement. "We would refer you to the call slip from that location on Jan. 8, over two weeks prior to the shooting."
Ashton Woods, a local activist who criticized the department's handling of the bust as well as the union's fiery response afterward, on Thursday lauded news of the disciplinary action while still pushing for closer scrutiny.
"This whole situation has been suspicious from the jump," he said. "I'm glad that they're being investigated but it sounds like it's time for Houston police to bring in an outside entity to investigate the case."
Monique Caballero, a friend of the couple who has been outspoken in her questioning of the official narrative, gushed with anger and relief at hearing the news.
"It's about time they look into what needs to be done," she said. "I firmly believe they went to the wrong house and now they're trying to cover it up, and it pisses me off that that head of the union wants to call my friend a dirtbag - you can't retract that. You can't retract and you can't bring back the dead."
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As I have stated several times in the past when obviously mentally challenged cops seem to have trouble kicking in the correct door, I work at a Papa John's. We have 20 year old delivery drivers that can drive down a dark street where there isn't one house in three that has a visible address and no porch lights lit anywhere on the street. Not only do they find the right address, they do it quickly so they can get back to the store and get another delivery to leave the store with. The more deliveries, the more money the driver makes.
I will concede some of these kids are college students and are pretty sharp. There are also some of these young guys that aren't real bright. The low watt bulbs will deliver just about as much as the college kids over the course of the shift.
So can anyone explain to me how the cops can be this incompetent compared to the pizza delivery kids?? I truly don't get it. Maybe the cops need to take a pizza delivery driver with them to show them which house to raid![:D][}:)][:D]0 -
A no-knock search warrant with a bad informant is possibly the cause of the fiasco that transpired. A 20 year career LEO suspended for unknown reasons for now who wasn't even in the squad that invaded the premise of the house.
Could have been working the informants with the narcotics squad and waiting outside while the raid took place.
serf0 -
Reads like alot of hopeful speculation. I imagine there are quite a few things that can and will be critiqued in this event, but the address ought to be simple to determine as it's on the search warrant, as well as the previous call and the vice reports regarding the drug buy. I'd be surprised if the Union President would definitively provide a statement refuting the incorrect address story if that were a possibility. Considering they located cocaine and marijuana it appears to be a good house to target. The lack of heroine the next day does no in itself mean much, they could have sold it or stashed it elsewhere. 0 -
Five officers lost,, very sad 0 -
serves em right...could been wichita ks...known for killing innocent homeowners...unarmed..and cop held blameless FK wichita 0 -
The police chief there is using this as a we need more gun control opportunity. But wants you to know he supports the second amendment. 0 -
The police chief there is using this as a we need more gun control opportunity. But wants you to know he supports the second amendment. 0 -
The police chief there is using this as a we need more gun control opportunity. But wants you to know he supports the second amendment. 0 -
quote:Originally posted by shilowar
Reads like alot of hopeful speculation. I imagine there are quite a few things that can and will be critiqued in this event, but the address ought to be simple to determine as it's on the search warrant, as well as the previous call and the vice reports regarding the drug buy. I'd be surprised if the Union President would definitively provide a statement refuting the incorrect address story if that were a possibility. Considering they located cocaine and marijuana it appears to be a good house to target. The lack of heroine the next day does no in itself mean much, they could have sold it or stashed it elsewhere.
Yep, illegal drugs are illegal drugs... Doesn't matter whether it's heroin or cocaine, it was still a good drug bust. Too bad it went bad0
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