Jury reaches verdict in ex-East Point officer's sex assault retrial case

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Former East Point police sergeant Richard Gooddine in a Fulton County courtroom during his retrial on sexual assault charges. (Credit: FOX 5 Atlanta) (FOX 5 Atlanta)

FULTON COUNTY, Ga. - Fulton County jurors have reached a verdict in the retrial of a former East Point police sergeant, who faces multiple felony counts alleging he sexually assaulted vulnerable women and a teenager while on duty.

Richard Gooddine retrial verdict

What we know:

A jury found Richard Gooddine guilty on multiple felony counts, including aggravated sexual battery. Gooddine was found guilty on the following counts:

Count 1 — Aggravated sexual battery — Guilty
Count 2 — Child molestation — Guilty
Count 3 — Enticing a child for indecent purposes — Guilty
Count 4 — Threatening or causing harm to hinder or delay testimony or prosecution — Guilty
Count 5 — Threatening or causing harm to hinder or delay testimony or prosecution — Guilty

Key testimony in sex assault case

Prosecutors said Gooddine used his badge and squad car to sexually assault vulnerable victims, including a 15-year-old girl, between 2016 and 2018. During trial testimony, state witnesses noted Gooddine broke police policy by failing to log his vehicle's mileage while driving the minor.

The trial focused heavily on the alleged sexual assault of the minor, with prosecutors presenting testimony on transport protocols and forensic evidence to piece together the night of the incident.

During the trial, jurors heard key testimony including from a former police chief, GBI analysts, and hospital staff, detailed policy violations, dispatch log discrepancies, and intimidating behavior by Gooddine on the night of the assault.

Former East Point Police Chief Tommy Gardner testified Gooddine violated core departmental policies by failing to log his starting and ending vehicle mileages over the radio while allegedly taking the minor home in his patrol car the night the assault happened.

A friend of the 15-year-old victim testified Gooddine stopped their group at a park, poured out their alcohol, and refused to let anyone else ride along when he took the minor away alone in his patrol car.

An emergency room charge nurse testified Gooddine arrived at the hospital shortly after the minor was brought in, acting in an "agitated" and "intimidating" manner, refusing to give his name, and asking staff, "Is this how you want your relationship with the police to be?" Video of the confrontation was also played in court.

GBI agents testified to swabbing high-touch areas and back-seat stains in Gooddine's patrol SUV. A former GBI analyst testified that DNA evidence from the victim's kit was "inconclusive" due to low nanogram levels. An ER doctor testified that sexual assault often leaves no visible physical injuries.

2018 investigation into Gooddine

The backstory:

The charges followed a series of allegations involving incidents authorities said occurred while Gooddine worked for the East Point Police Department in 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Gooddine was fired in August 2018 after he was accused of sexually assaulting a 15-year-old girl while on duty. According to an incident report, Gooddine stopped the teenager and three friends for allegedly being out past curfew. He reportedly let the others go but had the girl get into his patrol vehicle.

Investigators alleged Gooddine drove the teenager around for several hours before taking her to an apartment complex on Stanton Road, where the alleged assault occurred in his police SUV.

The Georgia Bureau of Investigation opened an investigation at the request of East Point police. Days after Gooddine was fired, the Fulton County District Attorney's Office issued arrest warrants involving allegations connected to three women.

One of those women, Rosa Woodard, previously told FOX 5 that Gooddine sexually assaulted her after arresting her for driving with a suspended license in 2016. East Point police said at the time that its Internal Affairs Division investigated Woodard's complaint and determined it was unfounded.

East Point Police Chief Tommy Gardner said when Gooddine was fired that an internal investigation determined he had violated multiple departmental policies and procedures.