HOUSTON – The sister of 59-year-old police shooting suspect Dennis Tuttle spoke to KPRC2.
Tuttle and his wife, 58-year-old Rhogena Nicholas, were killed in a shootout with Houston police on Monday, according to officials.
Elizabeth Ferrari said she hoped the news wasn't true when she got the phone call Tuesday morning.
"It’s a very tough situation, I do not know any details other than I came here hoping that it was incorrect," Ferrari said. "I don’t know any information other than it was my brother and his wife."
Tuttle and Nicholas' Harding Street residence in the Gloverdale neighborhood was raided as part of a drug investigation. Houston Police Chief Art Acevedo said that when the officers entered the home, they were met by an aggressive dog, which was shot by one officer.
Acevedo said Tuttle walked out of a back room in the home and used a .357 revolver to start shooting at the officers, wounding one of them. Acevedo said that as the wounded officer fell on a living room couch, Nicholas tried to grab his weapon.
Officers returned fire, killing both Tuttle and Nicholas, Acevedo said.
Ferrari said she spoke with Tuttle last week.
"We had a great conversation last week. Just telling me he loved me and he was proud of me. I shared with him that I loved him," she said.
Ferrari said she didn't know Nicholas very well, but said they've been together for a while.
"I don’t know his wife very well," Ferrari said. "It’s a family home, they’ve been together for a while."
Ferrari said she is concerned with the well-being of the officers involved in the shootout.
"I want to say that our prayers are with the officers and their families who were affected," Ferrari said.
Tuttle and Nicholas were married in 1998. The address of the Harding Street home where Monday's shooting happened was used on their marriage license.