An excerpt from the book, “Some Gave All,” available on Amazon
By Mike Simmons
He always knew what he wanted to be. He was born on April 28, 1887, in Butler County, Alabama, near Greenville. When he was twenty years old, he decided that he wanted to get away, so he moved to Florida. He soon became a deputy sheriff. After proving that he was a quality officer, he was elected as a Constable in District 2.
Soon, he heard about and applied for the position of detective with the Louisville and Nashville Railroad. Then, at age 34, in 1921, he was hired as a Pensacola Police Officer[1].
He quickly became known as a gentlemanly officer. An article in the October 1, 1928, edition of the Pensacola News Journal was entitled “Wife Beater is Shot When He Threatens Cop.” Fred and Annie James lived at 1012 N. 6th Ave. Around 2:00 AM on September 30, a neighbor called the police station and requested that an officer respond to the James house. At 2:15, Officer Green arrived. The article stated that he “interrupted a beating” which Fred was giving his wife. He had been beating her over the head with a pistol when Officer Green arrived. When Officer Green politely told James that he would have to put his gun down and come to the station with him, James refused to put his gun down and aimed for the officer. Officer Green politely fired one round into James’s breast. It passed completely through his body. He was taken to the hospital where he died on October 12.
In early February 1938, Officer Green heard about the young 6-year-old girl in Pensacola Hospital who was dying of leukemia and needed blood. He immediately volunteered and donated.
On Saturday afternoon, February 26, 1938, Officer Green was working on his police motorcycle at his home when he received a call about a fire on Lee Street between 7th and 8th Avenues[2]. Incidentally, the fire call was less than a block from his house at 1410 N. Eighth Avenue. He responded. After finishing with the call, he left, heading west on Blount Street. J. W. Alford, an employee with Southern Bell Telephone and Telegraph Company, lived at 1011 East Jackson Street. Mr. Alford was driving East on Blount Street when he turned left onto Hayne Street. However, either he didn’t look for oncoming traffic or he failed to see Officer Green heading West. His vehicle collided with Officer Green’s motorcycle. Witnesses said that the policeman hit Alford’s windshield and flew over the car. Besides a badly cut neck and internal injuries, he suffered from a fractured skull. He never regained consciousness. At 6:55 PM, Officer C. A. Green died from his injuries.
Officer Green left behind a wife, one son and four daughters. Funeral services were conducted Sunday afternoon, February 27 in his home at 1410 N. 8th Avenue. Reverend Chester S. Hunnicutt delivered the eulogy and brother officers served as pallbearers. The burial took place in Clopton Cemetery at Davis Highway and Selina Street.
A quickly assembled coroner’s jury went to the scene of the accident and determined that Alford apparently swerved into Officer Green’s path thereby causing his death. He was arrested on one count of manslaughter and turned over to county authorities where he was released on a $1,500 bond.
[1] Ancestry.com. https://www.ancestry.com/discoveryui-content/view/102842840:6224
[2] Pensacola News Journal https://www.newspapers.com/image/353034415/?terms=%22Clinton%20Green%22&match=1