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Sheriff

Tillman D. "Til" Taylor

Umatilla County Sheriff's Department — Pendleton, OR

Felonious

End of Watch July 25, 1920

Age 53

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

The Vigil Panel 39 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 1

Incident

Sheriff Tillman Taylor was shot and killed during a jail break from the Umatilla County Jail. Five suspects had obtained a gun that had been smuggled in to them and shot Sheriff Taylor with it during the escape. The five suspects were eventually apprehended. Two of them were sentenced to life, one was hung in December 1920 and the remaining two were hung in July 1922. Sheriff Taylor had been with the agency for 18 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OR-D84C29AA
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Taylor gave the Umatilla County Sheriff's Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Pendleton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Taylor.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Umatilla County Sheriff's Department

Location Pendleton, OR

Platform Identity ucso.umatilla.or.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 25, 1920

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Executed

Sheriff Tillman D. "Til" Taylor is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In OR, 115 of 197 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58.4% of this state's fallen. That is 4.2 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Umatilla County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Umatilla County Sheriff's Department

of 2 officers

100% Felonious

OR — Statewide

115

of 197 officers

58.4% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Tillman D. "Til" Taylor's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Tillman D. "Til" Taylor Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

Years of Service

This officer

Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

Offender Outcome

Executed

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Tillman D. "Til" Taylor is highlighted in Jul.

Jan

1,392

Feb

1,295

Mar

1,373

Apr

1,517

May

1,505

Jun

1,443

Jul

1,587

Aug

1,516

Sep

1,553

Oct

1,371

Nov

1,447

Dec

1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Tillman D. "Til" Taylor was killed by gun; unknown type.

Gun; Unknown type

5,083

Handgun

2,077

Shotgun

922

Officer's handgun

909

Automobile; Alcohol involved

530

Rifle

518

Others Who Wore This Badge

1 officer from Umatilla County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.