On Saturday afternoon Deputy Clifton Taylor and two other officers responded to a domestic disturbance call in the small town of Venus, Texas. The suspect had threatened his relatives and then hid in a shed when someone called police. When the deputies entered the shed to arrest Wesley Davis, he opened fire, striking Deputy Taylor three times. The other two deputies returned fire and shot Davis dead.
Deputy Taylor was thirty-one years old and was to be married in three weeks. He lost his life in the performance of his duties, while engaged in one of the most dangerous situations an officer can face: domestic violence. Deputy Taylor's murder emphasizes another myth. Some people may think small town and rural police officers do not face "dangerous situations." In truth, a deadly confrontation can happen anytime, anywhere, whether the officer is alone or with backup officers.
Like many "shoot outs," Deputy Taylor and his fellow officers were engaged in a shoot out that lasted less than thirty seconds. The suspect fired and the officers returned fire. It was over in just a few heartbeats. Deputy Taylor left behind his family and his fiancee. May God comfort his family, his fiancee, and his fellow officers. Incidentally, one of the surviving deputies found that a bullet had penetrated the walkie-talkie on his Sam Browne belt. Life and death is indeed separated by only seconds and inches. I am proud and thankful for our men and women in blue or in brown, and for the job they do.
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