HOUSTON – A week after a man walked up to Assistant Chief Deputy Clinton Greenwood’s assigned parking space at the Baytown Courthouse Annex and fired twice with a pistol striking him in the neck and bulletproof vest, a suspect has been named and that man had suicided the day after the murder.
Lt. Steve Dorris of Baytown P.D. named William Francis Kenny, 64, of West Houston, as prime suspect and “Investigators also learned that the weapon Mr. Kenny used to take his own life is consistent with the weapon used in the murder of Assistant Chief Deputy Clint Greenwood.”
Dorris said Keeny was tracked through surveillance video of his vehicle.
Sources say deputies had gone to the home of Kenny when he failed to show up for a court appearance on Monday, April 10.
They learned he had been in the morgue since April 4, when apparently he shot himself near Ben Taub Hospital. His body had recently been released to the family.
Kenny had a long history of grievance against law enforcement that began on St. Valentine’s Day 2012 when a relative of his ex-wife had made an emergency call indicating that Kenny acted in a threatening manner. The deputy that made the call never charged Kenny with a crime in the apparent domestic disturbance.
Kenny however started a website, www.fryroad.com in which he made accusations against the HCSO’s office. He appealed to HCSO’s Internal Affairs Division and failing to obtain the desired results from that appealed to the County Attorney’s Office, appealing all the way to the Texas Attorney General’s Office.
One has to dig hard to find that the only connection to Clint Greenwood was that Greenwood was head of Internal Affairs during his appeal. Kenny said of the Deputy Clint Greenwood, “Major Greenwood is a legal criminal lacking basic ethics.”
Former Sheriff Ron Hickman (in office at the time) indicated Kenny was not seen as a threat but a complainer.
Investigators say they first tracked the rented vehicle to a convenience store and there got a photo of the man later identified as Kenny. Once they discovered who he was they say they then discovered he had killed himself.
Lt. Dorris indicated that the investigators would continue to investigate the case, “as if he is still alive and planning to go forth with prosecution.”
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez had said, “ We’re going to do everything we can to make sure that we track down whoever was responsible for this. We’re going to stand united in this and we appreciate all of the collaboration that we’ve seen this morning, the show of support from the community and law enforcement community for having lost a fellow law enforcement officer.”
According to Precinct 3 Position 1 Justice of the Peace Don Coffey, “Monday morning was not normal. I was late feeding my dog when I heard gunshots. My back yard is about 200 yards from the courthouse, and it was about 6:45 a.m. and just turning daylight. I didn’t know what to make of the shots, so I convinced myself it must be something else. Then a few moments later sirens began to wail, and Randy O’Brien sent me a text saying Sterling High School had just been put on lockdown. That’s when I knew the gunshots were real.”
“Why Assistant Chief Deputy Greenwood was the person that he went after, we just don’t know right now.” stated Lt. Dorris.
The 100 Club provides assistance to law enforcement killed in the line of duty, according to Precinct 3 spokesperson, the 100 Club is handling all fund raising for the Assistant Chief Deputy Greenwood. Donations can be made online at the100club.org or sent to 100 Club Survivors Fund, 5555 San Felipe St., Suite 1750, Houston, 77056.
Community reaction in support of law enforcement has been outstanding. Throughout Crosby residences and stores have flown the American Flag with deep blue and azure stripes.