1970

January 31, 1970
Gunfire   @ 2616 Blodgett

DOB – 2/19/1928, Age 41
Badge – 1019
Class #12
Final Resting place – Beautiful Cemetery, Houston, TX

Officer Leon Griggs was shot and killed on Saturday, January 31, 1970, while working extra duty as a guard in the Sacco Brothers Food Market at 2616 Blodgett. Homicide Detective Paul Nix theorized Officer Griggs was shot when he saw several men, who were either shoplifting or trying to rob the store. No money was taken. Detective Nix said one man grabbed Griggs and another shot him five times. He also said the men apparently took the policeman's pistol, which was missing when Griggs reached Ben Taub Hospital.

After the shooting, as frightened customers ran through the parking lot, an assistant manager shot it out with one of the fleeing men. Gene Sacco said he was behind the meat counter at the rear of the store when he heard gunfire. "I grabbed my .38 snub-nosed revolver and chased them out," he said, "I got off three shots at one of them." "He shot at me as he ran across a vacant lot," he continued.

Sacco said the men jumped into a gray, Pontiac GTO, parked on the opposite side of the vacant lot in the 4700 block of Live Oak. "Several other men were in the car," Sacco said, "they drove west on Live Oak." Later in the day, a tip to the homicide officers led to the arrest of Leon Charles Dixon. Dixon's police record showed he had been convicted four times for crimes ranging from burglary to auto theft to misdemeanor theft. He had been discharged from state prison in September of 1969. About a month later, the State attorneys concluded they had no case against him, charges were dropped and he was released.

Three other men were arrested in Dallas in an unrelated armed robbery where Griggs duty revolver was recovered. One of the men, Elmer Porter, 30, admitted to being the "sole" shooter in the officer's killing and was later sentenced to 75 years in prison despite the prosecutors' request for the death penalty.  During the investigation Charles Hancock, 27, and John Ross, 28, were also charged with Officer Griggs murder.

When Leon Griggs graduated from the Police Academy in 1955, the rookie Houston patrolman's partner was an "old timer" on the beat, H.L. Philips. Officer Philips also worked at the same store on extra duty. He was supposed to relieve his former partner 30 minutes after Officer Griggs was slain. "He was a real good-disposition fellow." "He bent over backwards to get along with people." "He was a good officer," Officer Philips said of Griggs.

Officer Griggs, 41, had been a policeman for 14 years. He worked the last nine years in the Jail Division. Officer L. Griggs is survived by his wife, Iona B. Griggs; and son, Kelley Griggs. Officer Griggs' wife was expecting when he was killed in the line of duty.

Source – Houston Police Department Museum Files