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HOUSTON - Former Houston police officer Steven Bryant has been sentenced to five years of probation in connection to the deadly Harding Street raid in 2019.
Bryant pleaded guilty to a federal charge of obstructing justice by falsifying records in 2021. He was sentenced on Tuesday.
What they're saying:
"Mr. Bryant received a sentence of probation for five years. We are grateful to the Court for considering his cooperation with authorities and for giving him the well-earned opportunity to begin a new chapter in his life. Mr. Bryant will not take this opportunity for granted," attorney Andy Drumheller said in a statement.
Deadly Harding Street raid
The backstory:
Dennis Tuttle and Rhogena Nicholas were shot and killed in their southeast Houston home during the botched drug raid on January 28, 2019. Four police officers were also injured in a shooting during the raid.
Bryant and Gerald Goines, both former Houston police officers, faced federal charges in connection to the deadly raid.
Goines pleaded guilty to color of law charges last month. He admitted to making false claims to secure the search warrant that led to the botched operation. He is awaiting sentencing.
Bryant was accused of falsely claiming in a supplemental case report that he had previously assisted Goines in the Harding Street investigation. Federal authorities said he also identified a brown powdery substance (heroin) he retrieved from Goines’ vehicle as narcotics purchased from the Harding Street residence.
Goines convicted of murder
Dig deeper:
Goines is already serving a 60-year prison sentence. In September 2024, he was convicted of the murders of Tuttle and Nicholas.
Prosecutors accused Goines of misleading a judge to secure a no-knock search warrant for the home of Tuttle and Nicholas, claiming that black tar heroin was being sold there. They argued that Goines falsely stated a confidential informant had purchased drugs from the couple's residence. However, he later admitted to having no informant and conducting the operation himself.
Prosecutors say there was not only no informant and no drug deal, they say Goines never even investigated the home on Harding Street before barging in with a narcotics team in 2019, serving a warrant that quickly turned deadly.
The Source: Information about Steven Bryant's sentence comes from his attorney. Background information comes from the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Southern District of Texas and the Houston Police Department.