Roll of Honor
Robert James Taylor Sr.
Incident
Police Officer Robert Taylor drowned while attempting to rescue a man who had capsized in a small rowboat in the Bonneau Reservoir on the Rocky Boy Reservation during the Memorial Day holiday.
One other occupant of the boat was able to swim to shore. Officer Taylor attempted to swim to the boat in the cold water, which was about 75 feet from shore.
When he was approximately 15 feet from the boat, he went underwater and never resurfaced. The man he was attempting to rescue was able to make it to shore with the help of bystanders. Officer Taylor's body was recovered two days later.
Officer Taylor had served with the Rocky Boy's Tribal Police Department for six years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, daughter, and five sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CPC-TR-C8012958- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Taylor gave the Chippewa Cree Tribal Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Box Elder community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Taylor.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Robert James Taylor Sr. is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In SD, 19 of 62 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.6% of this state's fallen. That is 30.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert James Taylor Sr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Robert James Taylor Sr. Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert James Taylor Sr. is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Chippewa Cree Tribal Police Department are honored on badge.nw.