Winston County Sheriff's Office, Alabama
End of Watch: Wednesday, July 7, 1982
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 7, 1982
Weapon Used: Handgun
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Sheriff James Taylor was shot and killed during an attempted jailbreak. The brother and two acquaintances of a prisoner in the jail had come to break him out.
Deputy Taylor was sitting in his patrol car next to the county jail when three men who were approaching him suddenly opened fire with a shotgun and a pistol. He was shot several times and died instantly. The suspects fled from the scene after they failed to free a prisoner who was the brother of one of the suspects and was in jail for murder.
Two suspects were captured the next day. The other suspect was apprehended by FBI agents in Nashville, Tennessee, six months later.
Two suspects were convicted of Deputy Taylor's murder. One was sentenced to death, but later his sentence was commuted to life. The second suspect was sentenced to 18 years in prison. The third suspect was convicted of manslaughter.
Deputy Taylor had served with the Winston County Sheriff's Office for six years. He was survived by his wife and four children.