Fentress County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 15, 1940
Age: 64
Tour of Duty: 2 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 14, 1940
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Shot and killed
Sheriff Horace Taylor and Deputy Sheriff Ed Slavey were shot and killed as they attempted to arrest a drunk miner for making a disturbance in Zenith, Tennessee.
Deputy Slavey was the mine foreman and had requested Sheriff Taylor come to the mine to help arrest the man. After shooting Sheriff Taylor the man hid behind several coal cars on a railroad siding. Deputy Slavey was shot as he attempted to subdue him by the coal cars.
A posse shot and killed the man after a short standoff.
Sheriff Taylor died the following day.
Sheriff Taylor had served as sheriff for two years. He was survived by his wife, sister, and four brothers.