EAST POINT, Ga. — The final witnesses are taking the stand in the trial of former East Point police officer Richard Gooddine.
Gooddine is accused of using his badge and authority to sexually assault women, facing charges for allegedly raping a 15-year-old girl and another woman.
Gooddine’s first trial in 2022 ended in a partial mistrial after a juror refused to deliberate, stating she could not believe a police officer would assault women in that manner.
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Expert witnesses for both the state and the defense are taking the stand as the current trial nears its conclusion.
Channel 2’s Tyisha Fernandes was in the courtroom as the judge allowed the jury to hear testimony involving another 15-year-old girl who is not named in Gooddine’s current charges.
Former Georgia Bureau of Investigation Agent Wesley Horne testified as the final law enforcement witness. Horne testified about interviewing the teenager, who stated that Gooddine acted inappropriately toward her six years before he was charged with raping another teen.
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The guardian of the teenager described an encounter involving Gooddine and the girl.
“He pinned her on the car. There was a female officer there as well but he was the one who did it,” the guardian said.
The teenager also recalled her perspective during the encounter with the officer.
“Sometimes I did but I felt he was a police officer and wouldn’t do something like that,” the witness said.
Closing arguments in the trial are scheduled for Friday.
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