Richard H. Taylor
Agency patch
Officer

Richard H. Taylor

Metropolitan Police Department — Washington, DC
Felonious
End of Watch December 13, 1946
Age 48
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Richard Taylor was shot and killed as he and other officers chased a 14-year-old boy with a handgun in front of a flower shop at 924 17th Street, NW. The boy ducked behind a car and shot Officer Taylor in the stomach before being apprehended. Officer Taylor had served with the Metropolitan Police Department for 22 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

22 years. You could have gone home.
Officer Taylor gave the Metropolitan Police Department 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Taylor.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity mpdc.dc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 13, 1946
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Age 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Richard is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1946, 91 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 62nd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Richard was 48. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Richard had served 22 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

December holds 9.4% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Metropolitan Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, Richard among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Richard H. Taylor

Metropolitan Police Department · End of Watch December 13, 1946

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 59-E

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