Raid on HPD’s Harding Street: One of twelve jurors replaced in murder trial of disgraced HPD police officer Gerald Goines

HOUSTON, Texas (KTRK) – On the second day of the long-awaited murder trial of disgraced former Houston Police Department officer Gerald Goines, one of the twelve jurors was dismissed and replaced by an alternate.

Juror 9 brought up the issue herself, telling the judge that she remembered hearing about the case when the botched drug raid took place more than five years ago, after Monday’s 911 calls were played to the jury.

The juror said the no-warning raid that killed Rhogena Nicholas and Dennis Tuttle had a strong impact on her emotions and told the judge she could not be impartial.

Judge Veronica Nelson dismissed that juror and then questioned each juror individually to make sure they were not influenced in any way. All of the remaining jurors said they could still be impartial.

RELATED: Murder trial begins for disgraced HPD officer Gerald Goines over 2019 Harding Street raid

“It was definitely a strange chain of events that came to light so late in the proceedings,” said local defense attorney Murray Newman, who witnessed the dismissal of the case in court. “I think Judge Nelson did the right thing by putting every single juror out there and asking, ‘Hey, did this jury influence you? Is there anything else that influenced you that was discussed but shouldn’t have been discussed?'”

When testimony resumed, Officer Nicole Blankenship-Reeve was back on the stand. She continued to testify about her initial response to the fake 911 call that set everything in motion. Blankenship-Reeves testified that she and another patrol officer found nothing of significance on January 8, 2019, when the first 911 calls were made.

However, the two officers wrote down the information and then informed Lt. Marsha Todd of the Narcotics Division, who also happens to be Blankenship-Reeves’ personal partner.

Todd, now retired from HPD, also testified. She spent a fair amount of time describing the process HPD typically follows for drug investigations, but her most compelling testimony came when she described her interview with Goines days after the botched raid.

Todd said she spoke to Goines in the hospital during his recovery and immediately recognized warning signs in what he told her.

In court, Todd said it was unusual for an officer, including Goines, to tell his wife to leave the room while the two were communicating. Goines, whose jaw was wired shut at the time, wrote his responses to Todd on paper.

Todd testified that when asked who the confidential informant (CI) in the case was, Goines wrote “Reece” on a piece of paper.

RELATED: Murder charges reinstated against HPD officer

He also wrote: “But she should be afraid.”

Todd says Goines then tried to tear up the piece of paper but was too weak, so she tore up the piece of paper in front of Goines but stuffed it in her bag for safekeeping.

Todd testified that she later returned to her office and taped the paper back together because she knew it would be important evidence. That paper was presented as evidence to the jury on Tuesday.

Shortly after that testimony, defense attorney Nicole DeBorde told the court that Goines’ side would claim there was never a confidential informant. In effect, they agreed that the part of the story that led the judge to sign a no-knock search warrant was fabricated.

Newman says you can start to see how both sides plan to approach the case.

“From what we’ve learned so far, there won’t be a major dispute over the facts. The dispute will be about how the law applies to the facts and whether or not the actions are appropriate,” Newman said.

Todd and Reeves summarized their statements Tuesday afternoon. Another officer who searched the crime scene then took the stand. His testimony will continue on Wednesday.

For news follow Miya Shay on Facebook, X and Instagram.