Detective Thomas Luell Keen

Thomas Luell Keen

Detective Tommy Keen succumbed to injuries sustained two days earlier while assisting with recovery efforts following Hurricane Ike.

He had marked on duty and was driving to the station when he encountered a downed tree blocking the roadway in Tumball. He returned to his home, retrieved a chainsaw, and then went back to the location to remove the tree. As he cut the tree, a branch lying against a high-tension wire suddenly shot into the air and struck him in the head.

He was taken to Ben Taub General Hospital where he died from his injuries two days later.

Detective Keen was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and had served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for 35 years. He was scheduled to retire at the end of the following month. He is survived by his wife and adult son.