Houston Greene
Agency patch
Patrolman

Houston Greene

Kentucky Highway Patrol — Frankfort, KY
Felonious
End of Watch May 18, 1944
Age 27
The Vigil Panel 80 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Patrolman Houston Greene was shot and killed and a fellow officer was seriously wounded by two men who ambushed them as they walked out of a drug store in Pineville. Both patrolmen returned fire killing one suspect and wounding the other. The offenders had been angered by a raid the officers had made on their bootlegging establishment earlier in the day. The man who was killed had recently been released from prison after serving a sentence for murder.

Survivors

Patrolman Greene was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-C9C41FC1
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Greene served with the Kentucky Highway Patrol.
Thank you for your service to the people of Kentucky. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Greene.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Frankfort, KY
Platform Identity khp.ky.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 18, 1944
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Patrolman Houston Greene is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In KY, 755 of 983 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 76.8% of this state's fallen. That is 76.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Kentucky Highway Patrol, 5 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 62.5% of this agency's fallen.

Kentucky Highway Patrol
5
of 8 officers
62.5% Felonious
KY — Statewide
755
of 983 officers
76.8% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Houston Greene's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Houston Greene Compares

Age at Death
27
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Houston Greene is highlighted in May.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Houston Greene was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location