Attorney representing narcotics officer criticizes police chief's claims client fabricated evidence

HOUSTON (FOX 26) — The attorney representing one of the five officers injured during the no-knock raid on Harding Street in southeast Houston is speaking out in reaction to some of Chief Art Acevedo’s allegations that one of the officers fabricated evidence.

Attorney Nicole DeBorde is criticizing Houston Police Department Chief Acevedo following his comments from a news conference claiming her client, one of the five officers injured during a no-knock narcotics raid on Jan. 28, made up evidence about a confidential informant in an affidavit. 

"It’s bothersome that part of the story has been leaked and it seems very calculated to produce a certain feel for what may have gone on here and the reality is investigations should not be made entirely public until they’re concluded," said DeBorde. She added that the premature and selective leak of documents meant to remain classified as part of the ongoing investigation is unfair to her client.

DeBorde said the officer has undergone at least six surgeries since being shot in the face and neck, and has been in the intensive care unit ever since. She also said it is untrue that the veteran HPD officer has refused to cooperate with an internal police investigation.
 
"He’s been heavily medicated," described DeBorde. "He’s been in an extraordinary amount of pain. He’s been on a ventilator. He’s been fed through his nose and to suggest that he’s somehow making himself unavailable is absurd and that paints a completely different picture than what’s really going on."
 
Deborde is now calling for an external third party probe into the entire investigation. 
 
"I think it’s time for that agency to step back," said DeBorde. "We really need an independent, third party investigation at this point. And this is not a neutral investigator. This is a person, the head of this department, has made comments that he has already made decisions about this case before the investigation has even concluded."

Houston police said on Friday that they will start reviewing all of the officer in question's prior cases as part of the investigation. DeBorde said she invites law enforcement and other third party investigators to evaluate his work because his reputation in the community is one of integrity.