Precinct Three park named for slain Harris County deputy at urging of Commissioner Radack

CYPRESS – Harris County Commissioners Court honored the memory of Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth by unanimously voting Sept. 15th to rename a popular Cypress park for the slain law enforcement officer at the suggestion of Precinct Three Commissioner Steve Radack.

Harris County Deputy Darren Goforth Park on Horsepen Creek, 9118 Wheat Cross, is about two miles from the corner of Telge and West roads. That’s where Deputy Goforth was fatally shot during an ambush outside of a gas station on Aug. 28th.

Commissioner Radack, who served as a sergeant in the Houston Police Department and as Constable of Precinct 5 before being elected to his current office in 1988, immediately thought of naming the park for Goforth after the tragedy because the park is part of the Cypress community the veteran deputy patrolled.

The naming of the Precinct Three facility, formerly known as Upper Horsepen Creek Park, was also considered a good idea because the 188-acre site is a family-friendly environment. It includes a large spring-fed lake stocked with fish, more than three miles of walking and jogging trails, playgrounds, a popular dog park, scores of freshly-planted trees and access to Barker Cypress Road.

But the idea was not put before Commissioners Court until Commissioner Radack consulted with Deputy Goforth’s widow. Once she expressed her complete approval, the renaming was placed before Commissioner Radack’s colleagues for approval. After the court’s unanimous vote, signage directing people to the newly-renamed facilities quickly went up in the area.