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The F.B.I. Wednesday opened an investigation into the actions of Houston police officers as part of a drug raid that resulted in a deadly shooting, said Wednesday the federal agency and the police department. from Houston.
In A declaration, the Federal Bureau of Investigation said it was investigating allegations that a search warrant executed at the beginning of the Jan. 28 deadly attack "was based on fabricated false information." Chief Art Acevedo said that one of his officers, Gerald Goines, lied about the use of a confidential informant to justify a home search. The chief put Agent Goines on administrative leave.
Chief Acevedo said at a press conference in the afternoon that the investigation by F.B.I. would be "collaborative" but also "independent" from the one his department was already leading.
"We welcome it in a spirit of transparency," he said.
Also on Wednesday, the Harris County Attorney's Office announced the review of more than 1,400 criminal cases covering Agent Goines' career, of which 27 are ongoing.
"Our duty is to ensure that justice is done in every case," said Kim Ogg, Harris County Attorney, in a statement.
During a telephone conversation Wednesday evening, Nicole DeBorde, a lawyer from the Goines officer, described the removal of the Attorney General as "good and reasonable decision".
"We are open to a thorough review of her work," said Ms. DeBorde. "He's been a policeman for 35 years, and what I'm hearing is a man of integrity and his colleagues like him a lot."
Regarding the F.B.I. investigation, she said: "We asked for an independent investigation. We are happy that this is happening. "
Announcements about investigations and exams are just two of the many events that occurred on Wednesday following the raid, in which two suspects were killed and five officers injured. The case has become more complicated and is being scrutinized as more information about it has been released.
He also said the ministry would "act quickly" to ensure that SWAT and search warrant officers carry body surveillance cameras.
"Our police department believes that when you execute a search warrant, an arrest warrant and you force entry into a residence or business, there is a high potential for the use of force," he said. the chef Acevedo.
With respect to the use of body-worn cameras, he said that it was important to "have a record" from which "people can form their own opinions when issues are raised. "
The drug operation took place in the early evening of January 28, when a team of officers executed a search warrant in a house located about 11 km southeast of downtown Houston. People inside the house started firing and the officers fought back, the police said.
Two suspects, Dennis Tuttle, 59, and Rhogena Nicholas, 58, died in the shooting, police said. Four officers were shot dead and a fifth was injured on the knee.
Last week, Chief Acevedo revealed that Agent Goines had lied about the use of a confidential informant to justify a search at his home. He added that policeman Goines, who was among the policemen wounded in the shooting, could be prosecuted – a point that the district prosecutor's office reiterated on Wednesday.
Ms. DeBorde described Chief Acevedo's remarks about the criminal charges as "very premature" and said that "there were scapegoats". On Wednesday, she said that the agent Goines had been released from the hospital but that he would eventually undergo a new surgery.
Chief Acevedo said Monday that the police department would be largely put an end to the practice of forcibly entering homes to search them without warning, as police officers did on the night of the deadly raid. To go forward, he said that if the officers wanted to use tactics, known as arrest warrants, they would need his permission.
He stressed this point on Wednesday by announcing that the policy had come into force.
"We do not want to wait to have more deaths," he said.
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