BAYTOWN, Texas (AP) - A former district attorney was placed under armed protection as authorities continued their search Wednesday for the gunman in the death of a Houston-area law enforcement officer who was shot moments after arriving for work.
The extra security for former Harris County District Attorney Devon Anderson comes as authorities have released surveillance video of a possible suspect in the killing of Harris County Precinct 3 Assistant Chief Deputy Clinton Greenwood. He was shot Monday outside a county courthouse building in Baytown, east of Houston.
Baytown police Lt. Steve Dorris told the Houston Chronicle that the protection for Anderson was precautionary.
Dorris on Wednesday declined to comment on the extra security for Anderson, who left office after not being re-elected last year.
Investigators are reviewing the cases Greenwood handled during his law enforcement career for a possible motive in the shooting, Dorris said. Greenwood, who was a 30-year law enforcement veteran, had also worked with the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, the county’s sheriff’s office and in private practice as a lawyer.
“The logical direction for us to go is to look at those people he had dealings with in the past, whether the recent past or distant past, anybody that may have a reason to want to harm,” he told The Associated Press on Wednesday. “Certainly those are things we’re exploring, looking at.”
A source who asked not to be identified because of the nature of the investigation has told the Chronicle that Greenwood had emailed the Harris County Attorney’s Office last week, saying he felt threatened by a man he had once targeted in a corruption investigation.
Greenwood, 57, was shot by a man who stepped out from behind a dumpster as Greenwood exited his SUV. Greenwood collapsed at the scene and was taken to a Houston hospital, where he died.
The Harris County Institute of Forensic Sciences says Greenwood died from two gunshot wounds to the head and torso.
The surveillance video that Baytown police released of a possible suspect shows a man who was seen walking by the courthouse about an hour before the shooting took place.
The suspect has been described by investigators as a man between 6-foot and 6-foot-3 (1.8 meters to 1.9 meters), white or Hispanic, with short hair and a medium-to-stocky build. The man might have been wearing a dark jacket with sleeve patches.
The time stamp on the video incorrectly indicated it was recorded Tuesday, instead of Monday, Dorris said.
The video, and another one showing a car possibly belonging to the suspect driving away after the shooting, have generated numerous tips, he said.
“Something this tragic, losing a fellow law enforcement officer like we did, brings to bear a lot of different resources from across the country,” said Dorris, explaining the participation of federal agencies, including the FBI.
A funeral service for Greenwood was set for 11 a.m. on Thursday at Second Baptist Church in Houston.
A reward of up to $65,000 has been offered for information that would lead authorities to arrest and charge someone in the case.
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