By St. John Barned-Smith
Houston Chronicle
HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — Harris County officials are pushing to name a courthouse annex in Baytown after Clint Greenwood, the veteran lawman murdered there a week ago in the parking lot.
Don Coffey, a Precinct 3 justice of the peace, said Wednesday county officials first asked him three years ago for suggestions of people to name the county courthouse after but he didn’t have any to offer.
Greenwood, 57, spent decades working as a defense attorney, prosecutor and peace officer in Harris County, earning the respect of a wide swath of the local criminal justice community.
He was killed April 3, moments after arriving at his job at the courthouse annex at 701 W. Baker St. in Baytown. He had started work Jan. 1 as assistant chief deputy in the Precinct 3 Constable’s Office.
Baytown police on Monday said they believed 64-year-old William Kenny was the gunman; Kenny shot and killed himself the day after the murder.
During Greenwood’s funeral, Coffey said he was reminded again of their desire to name the courthouse.
“It hit me,” he said, “This is right thing to do... To honor his 30 years of service to the county and citizens of Harris County, and to remind people of where his career ended.”
Coffey said he and Precinct 3 Constable Sherman Eagleton will formally ask Harris County Precinct 2 Commissioner Jack Morman next week to support the effort; they had been waiting until police identified Greenwood’s killer.
In an email, Morman said he would be asking for approval for the renaming at Commissioners Court later this month.
“I’m happy to let you know that Mrs. Greenwood and her family feel proud to have the Baytown Courthouse Annex named after her husband,” he said, in the email. “I also want to thank Tim Cannon and other friends of Assistant Chief Deputy Greenwood for all their assistance to his family in discussing this honor and I am proud to make the recommendation to my fellow court members.”
Eagleton, who assumed office in January, said Greenwood had been instrumental in helping restructure his department.
“Chief Greenwood laid down the foundation on what we’re building on right now,” he said. “Clint Greenwood was a blessing to the Precinct 3 Constable’s Office and we’re going to miss him dearly.”
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