The eyes of fallen deputy Clifton Taylor’s family began to swell with tears during a dedication hosted by Johnson County Sheriff Bob Alford and the sheriff’s office.
The office held a dedication to celebrate the renaming of the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office to the Clifton Taylor Law Enforcement Center, honoring Taylor and his death in the line of duty.
Taylor’s family, which included his mom, dad, grandfather, grandmother, brother and sister, sat on the front row as Alford talked about Taylor’s work performance and presence in the county.
“In his entire service to the county, he hasn’t had one complaint,” Alford said.
Alford gave Taylor a posthumous medal of honor, the highest award an officer can receive, and the Purple Heart.
“Once a year we come together to honor our officers,” Alford said. “The officers decide who gets the award, not me.”
Alford presented the awards to Taylor’s parents, Randy and Rebecca, who were also made honorary Johnson County deputies.
“The community has been really good to us,” Randy said. “I want to thank everyone here and I’m very appreciative of all the support.”
Alford recalled the day he received the call that Taylor and another officer had been shot while they were answering a domestic disturbance call near Venus.
“It was April when I received the call about Taylor,” Alford said. “It’s the type of call you never want to get. Everyone else was OK, but they told me that Taylor’s condition wasn’t too good and that he might not make it.”
Tears continued to stream down the faces of Taylor’s family members, but were followed by smiles as Alford and others in the room acknowledged Taylor’s accomplishments.
Taylor’s family was surrounded by friends, county officials and Taylor’s co-workers. The dedication was held in the sheriff’s office break room where about 70 people gathered.
Alford said he was surprised by the turnout and was thankful to see the support of the community and its leaders.
“I never thought we would get this kind of outcome, but I want to thank everyone for honoring Taylor,” he said. “And I want to thank the Johnson County commissioners because without them, this wouldn’t have been possible.”
The commissioners voted to rename the sheriff’s office in August. They brought the idea before Alford who quickly agreed to the change.
Precinct 3 Commissioner Jerry Stringer followed Alford by giving a presentation on behalf of the court and its plan to make sure Taylor is remembered.
“It was a unanimous decision to change the name, and to be honest, we don’t have many unanimous decisions,” Stringer said. “This was a no-brainer.”
He also said the dedication should help heal the wounds that were created when Taylor died.
Taylor’s story compelled commissioners to go a step further to make sure Taylor’s actions are remembered.
The commissioners contacted Gary Crouch, a western artist who has several paintings hanging around the county, to paint a portrait of Taylor.
“He agreed to put together a painting to hang in the sheriff’s office,” Stringer said.
Crouch created two copies of the painting for Taylor’s family and Taylor’s fiancee, who was absent.
“We’ve gone through the grief, we’ve cried the tears,” Stringer said. “Today, I would like for us to leave with a smile on our face.”
Venus
Related Photos
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Fallen deputy Clifton Taylor’s sister, Megan Davis, takes a picture of a painting of her brother on Monday during a dedication to the deputy. The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office renamed its building to the Clifton Taylor Law Enforcement Center in honor of the deputy who lost his life during a disturbance call in April. The picture was painted by Fort Worth artist Gary Crouch. Three pictures were made and one will hang in the Clifton Taylor Law Enforcement Center. The other two paintings were presented as gifts to Taylor’s parents and his fiancee. John D. Harden/Times-Review
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The Taylor family sits on the front row in the Clifton Taylor Law Enforcement Center, waiting for the start of the dedication honoring the fallen deputy. John D. Harden/Times-Review
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The Johnson County Sheriff’s Office has been renamed to the Clifton Taylor Law Enforcement Center. John D. Harden/Times-Review
Discussion
Never forgotten
JCSO holds building dedication in honor of fallen officer Taylor
- Venus
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Never forgotten
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