William J. Taylor

Lieutenant William Taylor was shot and mortally wounded during a domestic call at 321 East Fourth Street in Mansfield. Lieutenant Taylor and two other officers responded to a report of a man shooting a gun in the air after threatening his family members. When the officers arrived, the man went into his bedroom and refused to come out. When he finally agreed to come out, he had a .22 cal. pistol in his hand. When Lieutenant Taylor grabbed the gun, the suspect pulled away and shot the officer twice in the abdomen. One of the other officers returned fire, killing the suspect. Lieutenant Taylor died from his wounds eight days later. Lieutenant Taylor was a United States Navy World War II veteran, having served as a boatswain's mate aboard an LSM in several Pacific invasions. He served with the Mansfield Police Department for six years.