Because the other criminal cases of the officer that arrested George Floyd in 2004 are currently under review, the board has recommended that Floyd be pardoned.
In 2004, George Floyd was arrested for alleged involvement with drugs in Houston.
Gerald M. Goines, a Houston narcotics officer, said in his report that he was working undercover and saw Floyd hand over a “dime rock” of crack cocaine — equivalent to a value of $10 — during the alleged drug buy, according to The New York Times.
Floyd ultimately pleaded guilty to the charges and was sentenced to 10 months in prison, according to the outlet.
In 2019, that same officer, who has since retired, led a botched drug raid that resulted in the death of a couple, according to ABC News.
Dennis Tuttle, a Navy veteran, and his wife, Rhogena Nicholas, were in their home the evening that officers forcibly entered. The raid occurred based on information that Goines had provided, stating that both he and “confidential informants” had bought heroin from the home.
The attempted raid ended with several deaths, as the officers shot Tuttle nine times and his wife twice, in addition to shooting and killing the couple’s dog.
The shootout that took place resulted in the injury of five officers, including Goines.
According to prosecutors, Goines fabricated evidence in order to conduct the raid, including completely making up the informant, the Times reported.
Goines has been charged with two counts of felony murder in addition to federal civil rights charges, according to The Times. He has denied the allegations.
Because all of the narcotic cases the Goines was involved with are now under review, the Texas Board has recommended that Floyd be pardoned posthumously.
“It’s more than a coincidence. It’s just a terrible example of how unfortunately some policemen deal with minority men,” said Kim Ogg, the district attorney in Houston’s Harris County involved in the case’s review. “I don’t think the color of the cop is really the problem. I think the problem is police culture.”
If the criminal court approves the requests, prosecutors intend to dismiss 151 individual’s cases where convictions relied on evidence from Goines, according to the Times.
