Deputy Jailer Deadrick A. Taylor, 28, was shot and killed on April 19, 1996, in Memphis, Tennessee. He had served with the Shelby County Sheriff’s Office for nine years and was ambushed as he returned home from work in the 1600 block of Monsaratt Street. Taylor was struck multiple times by handgun fire and by rounds from an AK-47 rifle.

Investigators determined the attack was gang-related and was ordered by an inmate at the facility where Taylor worked. The inmate who ordered the hit was later sentenced to life without parole, and both the gunman and another gang member involved in the shooting received life sentences.

Taylor was remembered as a dedicated corrections officer; his death drew attention to the risks faced by law enforcement and to gang violence affecting officers. Does anyone have information about Taylor’s life or service to share that could help preserve his memory?