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Even before the deadly drug raid that left two civilians dead, Houston Police Officer Gerald Goines had a troubling history of allegations against him.
The undercover case agent in the Jan. 28 Pecan Park raid had been involved in multiple shootings, racked up a smattering of written reprimands, faced several lawsuits and is currently accused of fabricating a drug deal then lying about it in court to win a conviction against a man who has long maintained he's innocent, according to a Houston Chronicle review of internal police records and court documents.
Through it all, the longtime narcotics officer consistently racked up glowing reviews and praise from supervisors who called his work "impressive" and wrote that he set a "good example for new officers in the squad," according to police records. Last month, as Goines lay in the hospital after the gun battle, Chief Art Acevedo praised his courage, describing the 54-year-old sergeant as "strong as an ox" and "tough as nails."
But on Friday, Acevedo offered a very different narrative. Now, he said, the veteran officer who's still in the hospital recovering from a gunshot wound to the neck could face criminal charges after investigators realized they couldn't find the informant reportedly behind the undercover buy used to justify the no-knock warrant.
Law enforcement experts say that's indicative of a unit without sufficient oversight, where repeated complaints and lawsuits don't lead to any apparent internal review.
"The number and type of incidents should be a red flag for any police organization to go back and look at exactly what happened in any and all of the incidents," said Larry Karson, associate professor of criminal justice at the University of Houston-Downtown.
The Chronicle typically does not publish the names of undercover officers, but Goines was publicly identified Friday after the release of recent court documents.
Previous drug buys questioned
Previous allegations surfaced about Goines in at least two drug buys, with the officer accused of lying under oath and mishandling drug evidence, and questions arising about his use of a confidential informant.
One of those cases which stems from a decade-old drug bust is still winding its way through the appeals process, as attorneys for 63-year-old Otis Mallet argue that he's innocent and was wrongfully convicted as the result of the case agent's alleged misconduct.
The 2011 conviction stemmed from a drug bust three years earlier, when Goines met up with Mallet's brother at a house on Danube Street for an undercover buy. Goines planned to make a crack bust with $200 of police money, which he allegedly handed over to Mallet's brother, Steven, according to court records.
Afterward, he said, he watched the man go over to Mallet, who plucked something out of a can in his truck and handed it over in exchange for the cash. Then Steven returned with the score: a quarter of crack, records show.
Goines was the only witness to the alleged deal. After he drove away, backup officers swooped in to make the arrest, seizing a can containing crack cocaine from behind the house next door. When the case made it to trial, Goines testified in court that he watched Mallet take the can from his truck and put it by the neighbors' house while police were arresting his brother.
It began when a host of officers busted into a home at 5pm and shot the victims Pit Bull and then exchanged gun fire with the couple, both of whom died. Five officers were injured.
From the outset a lot of people wondered what they would have done if unknown intruders busted in the house, shot their dog, and tried to defend their turf.
