On the humid summer night of July 12, 1981, in Waterloo, Iowa, a 28-year-old White/Caucasian male police officer named Michael Wayne Hoing responded to a seemingly routine noise complaint. It was the second time that evening he and his partner, Officer Wayne Rice, had been called to the residence at 1027 Franklin Street for loud music. The events that unfolded in the moments that followed would shatter the peace of the community and leave a lasting scar on local law enforcement.
As the
officers attempted to handle the situation, a violent confrontation erupted. During the struggle, a man named James Michael “T-Bone” Taylor, a parolee, managed to gain control of Officer Rice's service weapon. Taylor, angered by the police presence, first shot Officer Rice. Officer Hoing was able to return fire but was struck multiple times in the exchange. His partner, Wayne Rice, succumbed to his injuries at the scene. Michael Hoing was rushed to a local hospital but tragically died the following day, on July 13, 1981.
The shooting sparked a massive manhunt for Taylor, who fled the scene. Law enforcement from across the state descended on Black Hawk County to aid in the search. The tragedy deepened two days later when Black Hawk County Sheriff's Deputy William Mullikin was killed in a car crash while responding to a reported sighting of the suspect. On July 17, the extensive search came to an end when Taylor was found hiding in a bean field near La Porte City and apprehended.
James Michael "T-Bone" Taylor was subsequently tried and convicted for the murders of both Officer Hoing and Officer Rice. He was sentenced to two life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. Others were also implicated in the incident; Joseph Phams was convicted of murder for his role in the initial attack on the officers, and his brother, Johnny Phams, pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter. Taylor remained incarcerated until his death in prison on March 18, 2014. Officer Hoing, a seven-year veteran of the Waterloo Police Department, was survived by his wife and two sons.
