Arizona -(Ammoland.com)- The recent killing of a couple in Houston, Texas, and the wounding of four police officers, has been claimed to be an ambush of police by drug dealers.
Later accounts by officers at the scene show that police broke into the house, and fired first, killing the couple’s dog.
The husband then fired back, wounding the officer who killed their dog.
Officers then shot the unarmed 58-year-old wife. They claim she was attempting to get the shotgun from the wounded officer. From cnn.com:
When Monday afternoon’s raid was over, two suspects were dead and five officers were injured, four of them suffering gunshot wounds.
The first officer fired a shotgun blast, killing the dog. Suspect Dennis Tuttle, 59, initially retreated but returned with a .357 Magnum, shooting the officer in the shoulder, the chief said. The officer collapsed onto a couch in the living room.
As the other narcotics officers charged through the door — which Acevedo described as a “fatal funnel” — the second suspect, Rhogena Nicholas, 58, tried to wrestle the shotgun away from the officer on the couch. Police quickly shot her.
More gunfire was exchanged as the 54-year-old officer who breached the door — the officer who knocks down the door goes in last — charged into the fray, realizing his fellow officers were in trouble.
“He immediately knew his partners were down and he made entry. When he made entry, he got shot,” Acevedo said. “You know your brother’s down, your sister’s down, you go in, and that’s what they did.”
This account differs markedly from what was first released. From foxnews.com:
At about 4:15 p.m. local time, a group of about a dozen officers with the Houston Police’s narcotics unit responded to a residence they suspected was a hub for drug dealing, particularly the sale of “street-level narcotics” like “black tar heroin,” Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said at an evening news conference held outside the hospital. The two suspects had opened fire on the team of officers.
“Narcotics officers tried to serve a search warrant,” Acevedo said. “They announced themselves as police at the time. Immediately upon reaching the door, the officers came under fire from one or two suspects.” One suspect, according to the police chief, momentarily retreated into the home and then returned to the front of the location to resume shooting.
Early reports are often wrong. We should get more details as an investigation occurs.
Particularly disturbing about this case is information about the married couple who were killed in their home, along with their dog. They were 59 and 58 years old. So far, there has not been any indication of criminal records. Nor did the police find any “black tar heroin” they claimed was being sold at the house.
This was a planned raid. We should be able to determine exactly what happened, from the police point of view, from the body cameras.
The police had them and had them turned on, right? It was all planned. They knew there would be action. So they had a video to defend themselves if there was a problem… Right?
There are enough inconsistencies in this raid to want to see the video.
None of the officers’ names are being released… Because it is claimed, they all work undercover. At least two of the officers are 50-year-old sergeants.
The response of the President of the Houston Police Officer’s Union, Joe Gamaldi, is not reassuring.  From abc13.com:
“Enough is enough. If you’re the ones out there spreading the rhetoric that police officers are the enemy, well just know we’ve all got your number now,” Gamaldi said. “We’re going to be keeping track on all of y’all, and we’re going to make sure to hold you accountable every time you stir the pot on our police officers.”
That sounds a lot like a threat to anyone who dares to question the police narrative.
I hope this was treated like other crime scenes. I want a proper investigation. We should be able to recreate who was where and who fired what.
Show us the video, Joe. Then you may have some credibility.
We now know this wasn’t an ambush by drug dealers. The police admit they fired the first shot, killing the family dog. That is not an ambush.
How much was a legitimate defense of home against home invaders who, as far as the married couple knew, might be simply claiming to be police? How much was criminal resistance against a legitimate police action?
An armed home defender in Houston recently shot and killed three home invaders. He wounded two others. The police told him he did the right thing.
Most homes in Texas are armed. Texas law is designed to facilitate the armed defense of the home.
Show us the video. I want to see where the police knocked on the door and waited for a response.
About Dean Weingarten:
Dean Weingarten has been a peace officer, a military officer, was on the University of Wisconsin Pistol Team for four years, and was first certified to teach firearms safety in 1973. He taught the Arizona concealed carry course for fifteen years until the goal of constitutional carry was attained. He has degrees in meteorology and mining engineering, and recently retired from the Department of Defense after a 30 year career in Army Research, Development, Testing, and Evaluation.
No body cameras on? That’s an indictment right there. Either for incompetence or stupidity. I don’t mind giving cops a break, but on the other hand they need to earn it by doing everything they can to do things right. If they’re competent, and smart (which these guys were not) they will document all their pre-planning, signed off by supervisors, and document all their actions with cameras (which, believe it or not sometimes do present un-true accounts). These actions will, at the least, demonstrate that appropriate procedures were followed, and afford a strong defense. And, most importantly, avoid mistakes. I’m… Read more »
Only a fool trusts the police at this point in history.
Police are legally allowed to lie to you.
Police departments are known to reject applicants who are “overqualified”.
Police will always close ranks and lie if they are suspected of wrongdoing.
Their own investigations will find them innocent if they can manage it.
Their cameras will magically be non-functional after the fact.
Their words/behavior clearly indicates they believe it is “Us vs. Them”.
They are brainwashed, corrupt revenue collectors who perpetuate a false drug war.
I [try] to support ALL police. I [try] to hold them in higher regard and remember how dangerous their profession is…….but…..that doesn’t mean that I blindly condone the actions of ALL, by the misdeeds of the few. Plain english. There is an asshole in every crowd. There is always that one douche bag that pisses on the crowd…..and they’re the ones that are used by small minded people use as a “yard stick” to gage EVERYONE by. Typical government responce……”one size fits ALL” mentality. Lump the good in with the bad and condemn ALL! If EVERYBODY would just act right!… Read more »
It now seems very clear that it was a mistaken address. The homeowners were killed on “Harding Street” in a very modest home with no cameras or security measures. The couple had no police records and no drugs were found. The reporter found a house at the same number on “Hardy Street” which fit the description of a drug dealer’s house, with bars over all windows and doors and a very expensive outdoor security system with night vision TV cameras. Things might have gone better if the asshole cops had not shot the dog at first sight. Apparently the man… Read more »
The raid isn’t newsworthy.
Police killing people isn’t newsworthy.
Police being shot isn’t newsworthy.
The threats of retribution for anything other than worship of police is newsworthy.
Does “Ruby Ridge” or “Waco” bring any memories back? Mr. Barr was involved in one of these actions and he tried his best to COVER UP what really happened.