On the morning of July 23, 2010, Corporal Matthew Lloyd Edwards, a 31-year-old male and a decorated veteran of the Taylor Police Department, was tragically killed in the line of duty. The incident began around 6:00 a.m. when Edwards and his partner responded to a report of a burglary in progress at the Coppertree Town Home complex on Pine Street. Upon their arrival, they encountered a man in the parking lot who matched the description of the suspect.
As Corporal Edwards engaged the man in conversation, the individual suddenly drew a handgun and fired multiple times, fatally wounding the officer. Edwards' partner immediately returned fire, striking and wounding the suspect. Both Corporal Edwards and the gunman were transported to Oakwood Hospital in Dearborn, where Edwards was pronounced dead shortly after his arrival. He was the first officer in the history of the Taylor Police Department to be killed in the line of duty.
The suspect was identified as 36-year-old Tyress Mathews of Westland. Following the shooting, Mathews underwent surgery for his injuries. In November 2011, he was put on trial for the murder of Corporal Edwards. Prosecutors argued that the killing was a premeditated act, citing that Mathews fired several shots, including one execution-style.
A Wayne County Circuit Court jury found Tyress Mathews guilty of first-degree premeditated murder. He was subsequently sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The conviction brought a measure of closure to the family of Corporal Edwards, who had served with the Taylor Police Department for nearly six years and was survived by his wife and two children. He was remembered as a dedicated officer, husband, and father, and had been named Officer of the Year by the Police Officers Association of Michigan in 2008.
