Retired Houston police officer gets 60 years for deaths of couple during drug raid

A former Houston police officer was sentenced to 60 years in prison on Tuesday for the murder of a married couple during a drug raid that revealed systemic corruption in the department's narcotics unit.

Gerald Goines, 60, was convicted in the deaths of Dennis Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58, who were shot along with their dog after officers burst into their home using a "no-knock" warrant that didn't require them to announce themselves before entering.

Goines had been free on bond since he was charged in the January 2019 deaths, until his convictions last month. He looked down but had no visible reaction as he heard the sentences for each count of murder, which will run concurrently. The jurors had deliberated for more than 10 hours.