In the summer of 1951, the community of Double Springs, Alabama, was rocked by violence that led to the death of its top lawman. Winston County Sheriff Clifford Peak, a 40-year-old man, succumbed to gunshot wounds on August 9, 1951, a week after a fateful encounter. The events that led to his death began on the morning of August 2, when Peak and his deputy, Talmadge Stephenson, responded to a domestic disturbance. A family member of 64-year-old Taylor Peoples had requested that officers remove a gun from him, as he had reportedly threatened to 'kill the whole bunch.'
When Sheriff Peak and Deputy Stephenson located Peoples walking across a pasture and ordered him to drop his weapon, he instead opened fire with a shotgun. Both officers were struck. A massive manhunt ensued, involving 30 to 40 officers and highway patrolmen. The search for Peoples stretched on for hours, creating a tense atmosphere in the rural county.
The pursuit came to a dramatic end about five hours later in a wooded area near Double Springs. During the capture, Peoples once again discharged his shotgun, wounding a third officer, Lamar County Sheriff H.C. Smith. Finally apprehended, Taylor Peoples was taken into custody and charged with the shootings.
Sheriff Peak was rushed to a local hospital in critical condition. Despite undergoing surgery in an attempt to save his life, he passed away from his injuries a week after the shooting. Following his death, Taylor Peoples was charged with murder. He was convicted of first-degree murder on October 19, 1951, and received a life sentence. He would later receive an additional 25 years for the shooting of the Lamar County Sheriff. Peoples died in prison in 1962.
