FBI opens civil rights investigation into botched Houston drug bust - Sensationalist Headlines

https://m.chron.com/news/houston-texas/houston/article/Houston-chief-mayor-and-DA-set-to-speak-on-13630749.php The scrutiny comes after a disastrous raid on Jan. 28, when an undercover narcotics squad burst into a home in southeast Houston hoping to arrest a man they said was dealing heroin. Instead, a shootout ensued, killing Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas, and wounding four officers. Investigators never found any heroin at the location, just 18 grams of marijuana and a gram of cocaine. In the aftermath of the shootout, an internal Houston police investigation discovered that Gerald Goines, the lead officer during the investigation, had allegedly falsified information in the search warrant used to justify the raid. I posted the article when this was a breaking news story after the shooting. Since then it's only gotten weirder and weirder. There wer

Good. This story gets more progressively fucked up every time I hear about it. First it was apparently the wrong house. Then the Police Chief calls anyone who didn't approve of them enemies and that they needed to watch out. Then the informant is missing, and then for some magical reason the body-cams are all off. Which apparently one of the officers involved in the raid had an informant AND evidence magically disappear before.

an internal Houston police investigation discovered that Gerald Goines, the lead officer during the investigation, had allegedly falsified information in the search warrant used to justify the raid. IMO, Gerald Goines should be held responsible. They illegally raided the man, and he defended himself. Goines's actions directly led to the death of 2 people and the injury of 4 officers. Over drugs, which were lied about. Hold the police responsible for once, for crying out fucking loud.

'undercover narcotics squad' Were they even in uniform?

Nope. Plainclothes, no knock raid, with no body cameras.

What are the chances this was actually an act of premeditated murder

I'm guessing high. One of the other officers involved "accidentally lost" some evidence in his truck for a few months.

How is one even supposed to react then? them just shouting police is not nearly enough, that's why they wear the vests that say very clearly who they are and get very mad when the cpb wears police vests

Bullshit, clusterfuck situations like this are exactly why I'm such a vocal and open supporter of self defense against the police. As it stands, right now, if a police officer breaks the law and begins to assault you with their club, their mace, their taser, or heaven forbid their gun, you have absolutely minimal legal recourse to defend yourself from a deranged police officer in almost all 50 states. The police can illegally force their way into your home, with a faulty warrant, on faulty grounds, in an illegal fashion - and fucking kill you or your family, or whoever is in your home - and because of blue-helps-blue loyalty, you will be in legal fucksville if you defend yourself. This is not OK. If a police officer is breaking the law and is intent on doing you harm, you should be allowed to defend yourself without legal repercussions.

Waiting for the day that a no-knock raid ends up with all officers killed, with audio evidence showing that they never announced their presence or intentions in the first place. Something like this might be the only thing to end the practice, or at least to make sure that cops actually follow some kind of procedure. Like how many plainsclothed cops get attacked on a daily basis because people rightfully assume that they are being accosted by some dude for no reason