In the winter of 1992, a young life dedicated to law enforcement was tragically cut short in Anderson, South Carolina. Christopher Lee Taylor, a 21-year-old male, had realized his lifelong ambition of becoming a police officer and was serving as a deputy sheriff with the Anderson County Sheriff's Office. He had completed the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy in August of that year and was also a member of the sheriff's office dive team.
In his brief time with the department, less than a year, he was regarded as an outstanding and devoted public servant.
On the evening of December 7, 1992, Deputy Taylor conducted a traffic stop on SC State 24. He pulled over a bug exterminator truck that was dragging a hose. Inside the vehicle, he found two juveniles with whom he was familiar. Due to the cold, he placed the two boys in his patrol car to keep them warm while he investigated why they were driving the truck. After learning the vehicle was stolen, Deputy Taylor returned to his patrol car. At that moment, one of the juveniles shot him in the head, a fatal wound that ended his life in the line of duty.
The two juvenile suspects were not immediately apprehended, remaining at large for three days. Following their capture, the individual who fired the weapon was convicted of murder and initially sentenced to death. However, after being granted a new trial, the sentence was changed to life in prison without the possibility of parole. His accomplice received a 30-year prison sentence.
The sudden and violent death of Deputy Sheriff Christopher Lee Taylor sent shockwaves through the community and the law enforcement fraternity. He was survived by his expectant wife, his parents, and a brother. His father also had a career in law enforcement. In a poignant turn of events, his son was born in June of the following year, never having the chance to meet the father who was taken from him. The South Carolina General Assembly passed a concurrent resolution to express their profound sorrow at his death and to extend their sympathies to his grieving family and friends.
